


High school is the same the second time around

by Wandsparksfly



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: AU, F/M, High School, M/M, Olympians, Teachers, percy jackson - Freeform, school feud, total sexual tensions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-04-02 20:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 23,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4073188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wandsparksfly/pseuds/Wandsparksfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Greek Creek high school merges with Romania high school, tension is high.  Especially between the teachers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I just don't get WHY the schools had to merge in the first place." Percy complained, stomping round the new staffroom.  
"Because Greek Creek high school and Romania High School needed to be merged." Annabeth grimaced, lying along the new staff room couch. Percy chuckled, handing her a mug of steaming black coffee, before lifting her feet off the couch, sitting down in the empty space, before chucking them down on top of him.   
"Told you you shouldn't have gone out drinking the day before schools merged." Piper laughed, as Annabeth groaned.  
"Maybe you should've reminded me." Annabeth complained, rubbing her head.  
"I did, but you were refusing to stop taking shots." Piper teased her, before ruffling Percy's hair.  
"So, you guys ready?" She asked pulling Annabeth up and squishing into the space next to her. Annabeth groaned again, as Will headed through the door.  
"Hey guys" He chirped happily, as Annabeth glared at him.  
"Woahhhh, is Annabeth hung over?!" He froze, in fake shock.  
"Seriously though, I thought you'd be more sensible." Will raised his eyebrows.  
"Yeah, well, it was sorrow drinks about the merging with the Romans, and I got a little carried away." Annabeth blushed.   
"Yeah, well I think we could all use a drink. It's time for the first meeting." Will stated, and everyone groaned.  
*  
Professor Chiron stared around the room.  
"I know that you are all extremely good teachers, with incredible teaching abilities, and I have no doubt you will all act with at least a professional courtesy towards the teachers of the Romania High School, but i must warn you: there is already enough of a feud between the two schools, so any disputes between teachers will not be tolerated, and will be severally punished. With that in mind, I'll go get the new teachers." He wheeled out of the room, as all the teachers exhaled.   
"I still can't believe we're fusing with the bloody romans." Thalia hissed, slouching down in her chair a bit. They were all smartly dressed, and sitting along one edge of the table.  
"Didn't your brother go there? Doesn't he work there too?" Annabeth questioned, sitting up incredibly straight in her chair.  
"He's a half brother." Thalia joked, and everyone chuckled.   
"Look, they're coming in." All the teachers sat up straight, with Annabeth adjusting Percy's tie.  
"Teachers." They all stood as Professor Chiron wheeled in, followed by a line of teachers.  
"This is the new teaching staff for the New Olympus high school." The Roman teachers filed into the seats across the round table.  
"This is Mr Percy Jackson, English teacher, Miss Annabeth Chase, History, Miss Piper McLean, French, Mr Will Solace, Biology, Mr Grover Underwood, Music, Miss Thalia Grace, G-guidance counselor, Miss Rachel Dare, Art and Design, Miss Clarisse La Rue, Physical education." Chiron finished, as the Greek teachers awkwardly smiled. He turned to them.   
"These are the teachers from Romania High School, Mr Nico Di Angelo, whom you all know" Nico'd worked at the Greek Creek school until about six months ago.  
"This is Miss Hazel Levesque, Geography teacher, Mr Frank Zhang, Mathematics, Mr Leo Valdez, Technical studies, Mr Jason Grace, English, Miss Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, Chemistry, Mr Octavian Octavian, Art and design." Professor Chiron finished.   
"Today is an inservice day, with the aim to merge the two schools. Activities start at ten." He stated, before wheeling out of the room. The two sets of teachers stared at each other.  
A toned, blonde teacher with a small scar on his lip grinned, and leaned back in his chair. He nodded at Thalia.  
"Hey sis."


	2. Chapter 2

"Ughhhhhhh" Rachel groaned into her drink, carefully slipping her phone back into her bag, before flipping back her dark red hair with an unsurprisingly paint stained hand.  
Piper laughed.   
"Is that Octavian guy STILL texting you?" Annabeth asked, sipping her water.  
"Yeahhh" Rachel rubbed her head.  
"Who names a kid Octavian Octavian anyway?"  
"Any more drinks?" The bartender stepped up to them, slipping some napkins down.  
"I'll have another tequilla, another vodka and coke, and-"  
"Water for me please." Annabeth finished, grinning, as the bartender slipped off between the smoky tables of the bar.  
"Why did you give him your number in the first place?" Piper laughed.  
"He said we should exchange ideas for the new art and design program." She groaned,rubbing her head.  
"yeah, well at least with the new teachers we have something good to look at." Piper smirked, giggling.  
"Yeah, well not with Octavian" Rachel joked, and Annabeth shook her head.  
"What Annie? You disagree?" Piper asked innocently, as her and Rachel exchanged a glance.  
"First off, don't call me Annie. Ever. And secondly, we have plenty of good looks, all on our own." She scowled into her drink.  
"Are you talking about Percy?" Piper smirked.  
"No-well, Yes, but there's also Will and, G-Grover." Annabeth spluttered slightly into her drink.  
"Oh come on, we both know Percy'd be the only one for you in that list."  
"Yeah, Will's gay, and Grover was your childhood best friend."  
"And he's engaged." Rachel and Piper smirked at each other.  
"Me and Percy are just friends." Annabeth stated, her grey eyes piercing through them, but the top of her ears going red.  
"Anyway, who do you have your eye on Miss McLean? Or you Miss Dare?" Annabeth winked at her friends.  
"I can't speak for Rachel, but I can say I'm definitely interested in him." Piper smirked, gesturing over at the door where Thalia, and the blond Roman teacher, Jason had walked in. They headed over to the bar. They were half siblings, and barely had any similar features; Jason was tall, athletic, had short blonde hair, and a playful grin. Thalia was much shorter than him, and had choppy black hair, and a fearsome glare. The one thing the siblings shared were their striking blue eyes, that seemed to pierce through anything.   
"I'm going to go over and chat." Piper smirked, sitting her drink down, and adjusting her dress, before playful smirking and skipping over to them. Within a few minutes, Thalia came stomping across the bar, flicking her stark black hair out of her face.  
"Piper over there is talking to a bloody roman." She slurred.  
"Thalia, are you drunk?" Rachel raised an eyebrow.  
"A little bit. Did I mention beauty queen's hitting on my brother?"   
"You did, but you called him a bloody roman." Annabeth smirked to herself.  
"Yeah, well that bloody roman IS my brother." Rachel and Annabeth laughed, as Thalia slid back off along the bar to Jason, as Piper came back, glowing.  
"keep your new love glow to yourself please beauty Queen" Annabeth laughed into her glass.  
"Yeah, neither of us are getting any, so please don't share the love." Rachel laughed, as a small bunch of Roman teachers entered the bar.  
"Back to my place?" Rachel suggested, downing one last shot of tequilla, as they left the bar.


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay teachers. Despite the fact we've been merged for almost two weeks now, none of you seem to have really merged, which causes problems with both the school and the pupils." Professor Chiron stated, staring down the table at all the teachers, who were squirming slightly, still sitting on opposite sides of the table.  
"To try and combat this issue, all teachers participating in extracurricular activities must help run at least one activity with a different teacher, Romans with Greeks, Greeks with Romans. So, go off and think about who and what you'd like to participate in. Dismissed." Professor Chiron leaned back in his chair, as the teachers began to flood out of his office, as Annabeth lingered behind.  
"Seriously Chiron? Forcing us together?" Annabeth pouted at him.  
"The schools need to merge Miss Annabeth." Chiron wheeled himself up to where she'd taken a seat on his couch.  
"Have you spoken to your father lately?" He stated, fiddling intently with his hands.  
"card on my birthday." She stated shrugging.  
"I don't expect to hear from him much." She bit her lip slightly and glanced down at her lap.  
"Your step-brothers enrolled at the school." He stared at her. Annabeth pursed her lips.   
"Did they go to Romania High School?" She asked, twiddling her thumbs.  
"No." He stated, before Annabeth stood up.  
"I have to go meet percy-eh coffee." Annabeth quickly swung out of the room.   
Her step brothers? Annabeth sighed to herself. Her father had obviously managed to replace her well enough, with his new twin sons, and his new daughter. Last she knew of, the daughter went to Hunterson Private High school for girls. Annabeth quickly shook the thoughts of family from her head as she arrived at Percy's classroom. They'd given up on her when she was seven, so why should she care about them?  
"Ready?" Percy asked, grinning, as he stuck his hand through his unruly black locks.  
"ready." Annabeth faked a smile, and a flash of worry shone in his eyes. He knew her well enough to know when she was faking it. He swung an arm over her shoulder.  
"You alright wise girl?"


	4. Chapter 4

"I was going to suggest myself for Swim team coach." Percy stated, grinning nervously, tugging at his collar.  
"I second that." Clarisse stated, folding her arms across herself.   
"Why should we trust that?" Octavian sneered, as the fellow Roman teachers glared at him and rolled their eyes.   
"Trust us. Percy was swim team captain when he was at school, when he was at college, and at Greek Creek High School." Annabeth reassuringly placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"If anyone else wants the position, we could have a swim off." Percy suggested, smiling at the Romans.  
"Yeah, if anyone does please say now, we never want to miss an opportunity to see Percy in shorts." Rachel winked, as Will high fived her.  
"No challengers?" Annabeth smirked slightly as she wrote down his name on the sheet.  
"Okay, and what about the Gay straight Alliance?" Annabeth glanced up from her paper, to see three hands up.  
"I'm happy to represent the gayness in the gay straight alliance." He joked, and Thalia, and a teacher called Hazel from the Roman school stuck up their hands.  
"And last but not least, Yearbook? I would offer myself but I already have a lot of activities, soo."   
"I'll do it." Piper suggested, before looking flirtingly over at Jason, who grinned, fingering his lip with his thumb.  
"Yeah, me too." Piper subtly glanced at Annabeth.  
"Great! That's all." Annabeth flipped over the notebook.  
"Okay, to recap: Piper, you have Theatre, Language club and Yearbook. Leo, you have Theatre and Model club, Percy you have Swimming, Creative writing, and Football. Rachel, you have Photography, radio, and Model Club, Hazel you have Photography, Gay Straight Alliance and Language, Jason you have Creative Writing, yearbook, newspaper,-" Annabeth continued to drone on.  
"Pst." Will nudged Hazel subtly, who looked shocked.  
"Your brother-Nico, he's your brother, right?" Hazel nodded.  
"Is he single?" Will whispered, before Annabeth glared at them both, and Will shut up.  
"And last, I have Debate, Newspaper, field Hockey, Radio and language club. I'll draw up a time table and see how it goes. i-"  
"Wise girl, chill" Percy laughed, leaning back in his seat, and throwing his arm round her.  
"Anyone want to go for drinks?" He asked, grinning at the Romans.   
"Can't. Girls night at Rachel's. Though, you guys can come if you want?" Piper suggested, grinning at Hazel and Reyna. Reyna sat up stiffly.   
"No thank you. I have plans." She stated, frowning down at them uncomfortably.  
"What about you Hazel? We'd love to have you." Annabeth smiled, and the girl nervously nodded.   
"Sure."   
Percy lively clapped his hands.  
"Well, since the gals-"  
"-Don't call us that-" Annabeth interjected.  
"-Since the ladies are going out, do you guys fancy a night out on the town?" Percy joked, laughing to himself.   
"Well, I'm cool to go." Will smiled.  
"Can't." Grover stated.  
"Frank? Leo? Oc-Octavian?" Jason grinned.  
"I'm in." Jason stated, as Leo and Frank murmured in agreement.  
"No thanks. I'm not into some second rate night out. I have far much more important-"  
"Fury's bar at eight?" Percy suggested, and they all grinned.  
"Come one Seaweed brain, I'm giving you a lift home and i have to stop by the shops first." Annabeth smiled, ruffling his hair.  
"See you there." Percy smirked, before practically leaping out of his chair, and running out after Annabeth.  
"Okay, so they're definitely screwing, right?"


	5. Chapter 5

"So what do you think of the Romans Wise Girl?" Percy asked, flicking his flip game as he sat on the edge of the trolley, while Annabeth pushed it along.  
"Gods, Perce, get off the trolley!" She exclaimed, throwing olives into the cart.  
"Jeez Wise girl, chill out" He grinned at her, before twirling round the back of her, and slyly sliding a box of oreos into the cart.  
"Seriously Seaweed brain?" She joked.  
"This is MY shopping." She raised her eyebrows at him.  
"I'll pay for the cookies." He teased, smirking at her, his green eyes sparkling.  
"And what about the carrots? Or the pizza? or the donuts? Or the beer?" Annabeth smirked at him.  
"Well, we haven't even vaguely reached the alcohol aisle yet and i know the only times we shop here is when you want to buy copious amounts of alcohol with very little risk of bumping into anyone we know." He teased as Annabeth threw some packets of microwave popcorn into the cart.  
"Yeah, well I'm thinking that the need for alcohol is certainly increasing." She grinned at him, batting him out the way as he tried to stick a fruit sticker on her head.  
"Wise girl!" He gasped in fake surprise.  
"Are you, a reliable teacher, suggesting that becoming intoxicated would help solve our problems?" he gasped, before laughing loudly.  
Annabeth batted her eyelids innocently.  
"Of course not Mr Jackson, that would be inappropriate." Percy stared at her for a minute, before pouncing on something on the end of the aisle.  
"Look Annabeth! All blue M n Ms!" He bounced excitedly like a puppy. Annabeth laughed, as they turned the corner, to a familiar sight.  
"Nico! Hazel!" Percy called out, and the two turned around. Like Jason and Thalia, they were half-siblings, and had very, very few common traits. Nico had dark, shaggy brown hair, compared to Hazel's frizzy cinnamon hair. Nico was half Italian, Hazel was Half African-American. Hazel had golden flaked eyes, that were magnificent, and Nico had dark, dark eyes that looked as though they could contain the universe.  
"Annabeth. Percy." Nico nodded at them.  
"Hey." Hazel grinned, before nudging her brother, as he rolled his eyes, adjusting the collar of his black leather bomber coat.  
"So, are you going to come tonight?" Annabeth smiled friendly at the younger girl, who brushed some hair behind her ear.  
"I think so." She blushed slightly.  
"You should, it'll be great fun." Annabeth reassured the girl.  
"You two planning a party?" Nico asked, gesturing at the pile of booze in their cart.  
"....Yeah, I was thinking of throwing one at Annie's place, i mean, God knows it's nicer than mine." Percy joked.  
"Oh, so you two don't live together?" Hazel asked, smiling politely.  
"Our friendship only extends to a certain limit, and i could not live with Percy and the mess he generates." Annabeth laughed.  
"Yeah, and i couldn't put up with the constant know-it-all-ism, and the architectural sketches everywhere." he teased back.   
"It was really nice bumping into you, but we've got to go to a meeting with our father about a few things. I think I'll definitely come tonight." Hazel smiled, before heading over to the checkouts with the expensive bottle of whiskey they'd picked out.  
"That explains why Nico was so frowny then." Percy joked, as they went down the freezer aisle, Annabeth chucking some ice cream into the cart, along with frozen peas.  
"percyyyy"  
"Because he usually smiles so much anyway?"  
"Cut the man some slack Perce, don't pretend you don't have daddy issues." Annabeth teased him, as she gathered up the last few needed items.   
"I don't have daddy issues. I have a paul." He grinned cheesily.  
"Come on seaweed brain." Annabeth laughed, and they headed off to the checkout.


	6. Chapter 6

"This is her apartment?" Hazel muttered to herself, suddenly reconsidering the six pack of cider she had in her hand, as she stared up at the tall, glass-fronted expensive looking building.  
"Can i help you?" A doorman asked, adjusting his hat and frowning down on her.  
"I-eh I'm supposed to be going to Rachel Dare's apartment, this is the address i got given." She smiled slightly, as the Doorman smirked, before picking up a phone.  
"Miss Dare, I have a young lady down here-What is your name?"   
"Hazel."  
"Miss Dare I have a Miss Hazel down... Yes m'amm, certainly." Frowning at her, he directed her towards the elevator doors and ushering her inside, before the doors slammed shut and it began moving.  
"Oh my." Hazel sighed, looking round the golden elevator, that had partly velvet walls, and two small seats. There was a ping, and the elevator doors slid open. Nervously, Hazel stepped out. It was an apartment, certainly, but not Rachel's. This was obviously a man's apartment. The dark interior, the gaming system, and the guy jogging towards her pulling his shirt over his head were clear indicators.  
"Sorry, can i help you?" He asked, running a hand through his flat brown hair.  
"We weren't expecting guests." Another shirtless man appeared from a room off the side, into the large open space.  
"Oh, eh, sorry, I'm looking for Rachel's apartment.." Hazel smiled awkwardly, looking down at her feet.  
"Oh, yeah, Rach's apartment is a floor up." One of the men smirked.  
"Can you take her Travis?" The shirtless guy smirked, his eyes twinkling.  
"Sure." He quickly pulled on some shoes.  
"I'm Travis Stoll, this is my brother Connor. Come on." He ushered her back into the elevator.   
"So is it hard to find Rachel's apartment?" Hazel asked, awkwardly playing with her fingers.  
"Depends." He shrugged.  
"Who's the doorman today? Cerberus or Clovis?" Travis asked, pressing the button on the elevator before typing in a key code.  
"I- I'm sorry, I don't know." Hazel smiled at him, and he laughed.  
"It's usually pretty easy to tell, Cerberus looks as though he wants to bite your head off, Clovis is usually asleep." he joked.  
"And Cerberus isn't his real name, before you call him that." He laughed, as the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Hazel stepped out into a huge loft style apartment.  
"Holy smokes." She muttered to herself under her breath, as Rachel skidded across the room, her red curly hair tied up in a messy style bun that had curls falling out of it all over the place.   
"Hazel! And Travis..." Rachel grinned at them.  
"Are you here to return the DVDs you stole?" Rachel raised her eyebrows and smirked at Travis, who laughed.  
"You wish. I'll head out, you obviously have a fun filled night planned." He laughed, gesturing towards the table full of food, alcohol and rom-coms, before turning away to head back off towards the elevator.   
"Travis? Give it back." Rachel laughed, as unwillingly Travis handed over Hazel's watch, and two photos that'd been sitting by the door, before laughing off into the elevator.  
"He stole?" Hazel asked, shocked.  
"Yeah, the Stoll brothers love pickpocketing. They're good guys though." Rachel flung out her arms,  
"Welcome to my apartment."


	7. Chapter 7

"So, did you go to school at Greek Creek?" Jason smiled awkwardly, as Percy took a swig of his beer.  
"Yeah, no I didn't, I moved here a few years ago from New York. What about you? School as a Roman?" Percy asked.  
"Yeah, yeah." The sat in an awkward silence, Frank, Leo, Will and Nico Came over from the bar.  
"Grover says he can't make it, something to do with his fiancee." Will informed them.  
"Cool." They stood in an awkward silence.  
"Yeah, so the Greeks and the Romans merging, that's weird right." Leo said, giggling to himself. He'd arrived at the bar before anyone else and was obviously already enjoying himself.  
"All I've got to say is lock down your ladies because the Leo-nator always pulls." He laughed, as Jason quickly pulled the drink out of his hand.  
"You've had enough Leo." He chuckled.  
"Yeah, I'll get you a water." Frank headed off over to the bar.  
"Yeah, well, who you got your eye on?" Percy asked, fakely grinning at him, and Will shot him a warning glance that Percy brushed off.  
"Well, I don't know-" Leo began as jason gently nudged him.  
"-But that Rachel DAre is pretty smookinggg" He giggled to himself.  
"So's that beauty queen you've got youur eye on JAson."   
"ANd that blonde chick-wahts her name? anNabell?"   
"Annabeth." Percy stated through gritted teeth.  
"Leo, maybe-" Frank interrupted him and but he batted him off.  
"DOn't get me wrongg, I'd go for HAzel if panda-man over there wasn't all over himm," Frank scowled slightly and Jason chuckled nervously, as Percy clenched his fists. Will and Nico who had been chatting over in the corner, both jumped into the conversation.  
"we were just thinking-" Will began,  
"Look, evveryyoooneee knows that I'd go for anything with a pulse-"  
"They have a whole lot more than a bloody pulse." Percy clenched his jaw.  
"-But, everyone knows, Greeks are easy-" With that, Percy leapt across the table, and punched him in the face.


	8. Chapter 8

Annabeth sat outside Chiron's office, nervously glancing at the watch on her wrist.  
"Percy and Leo'll be fine. That's what, the tenth time you've checked the time since they went in?" Jason grinned slightly.   
"Chiron said that there will be extreme consequence for any teachers fighting." Annabeth stated, exhaling slowly.  
"Yeah, well, there was one punch, in a bar. Not a full on brawl in school." Jason pointed out, and Annabeth slid down in her seat a bit, rubbing her head with her hands.  
"And it was an over 21 bar. No-one from school should have been there." Jason pointed out again as Annabeth sighed.  
"So you and Percy are pretty close, right?" Jason asked, smiling at her, as Annabeth smiled tiredly.  
"He's the closest thing I have to family." Annabeth fiddled with her fingers.  
"They'll be okay Annabeth."   
"You know, you're okay. For a Roman." Annabeth joked.  
"You're not too bad yourself Greek." Jason smiled back at her, the scar on his lip expanding.  
"So, Piper. What are your intentions with her?" Annabeth asked seriously as Jason chuckled.  
"You Greeks really protect your own, don't you?" Jason smiled at her.  
"What do you mean?"   
"Well, the reason Percy punched Leo was-" Leo and Percy swung out of Chiron's office, and Annabeth jumped up.  
"You haven't been fired, have you?" She asked, staring up into Percy's eyes.  
"No, no. We've to take detention together for the rest of term, and we've been issued a warning. It's all fine wise girl" Percy grinned with ease, as Annabeth threw her lanky arms round his neck. Chiron wheeled out from his office.   
"May i suggest you all make your way to the staff room? Or your classrooms. Miss Chase, may I have a word?" Jason, Leo and Percy left, as Annabeth ducked into Chiron's classroom.  
"I just thought you should know, your father's children, all of them, have enrolled in this school, and Matthew plans to take your class." Chiron stated, placing a hand on Annabeth's shoulder.  
"I should really go prepare for class."


	9. Chapter 9

Jason chuckled, as he leaned against the frame of the back door to Piper's classroom. Like all the classrooms in the school, they were staggered, so Piper was down at the front, and the tables rose slightly as they went up, in a circle around her.   
"SInce this is AP French, and completely optional, and since we have spare time, I decided to look at the suggestions you guys offered, and decided on one: How to hit on someone in French." Piper announced, and the whole class chuckled. They were hanging on her every word, Jason noted.  
"Repeat, take note, it'll come up on the board. Bare in mind you'll be tested on this." Piper grinned out at the class.  
"First, tu es très belle."  
"tu es très belle" The class chorused back.  
"That means you are very beautiful." A few people snickered.  
"Le français est la langue de l'amour" She called out, and a few more people laughed.  
"Le français est la langue de l'amour" The class chorused back, giggling.  
"And finally, vous êtes tellement chaud que vous m'a fait oublier ma ligne de ramassage"  
"vous êtes tellement chaud que vous m'a fait oublier ma ligne de ramassage" The class chanted back, now in fits of laughter. The bell rang out.  
"Okay, remember for next time page 18 of your textbooks, and, for unofficial extra credit, use that pickup line in French with someone. Dismissed." Piper turned around as students began to flood out of the class, laughing, calling goodbye to 'Miss McLean'.  
"tu es très belle" Jason called out from the back of the class, as Piper turned around, sitting the bundles of paper in her hand down on her desk.  
"Jason." She smiled, biting her lip slightly, leaning back on the desk, bushing a small braided bit of hair behind her ear.  
"You're a good teacher." Jason said, heading down along her classroom.  
"Thanks. Don't you have a class next?" She asked, smiling softly.  
"Seniors, they'll be fine for a few minutes. Do you?" Jason grinned, running his hand through his hair. Piper shook her head.  
"Usually it's just a drop in session."  
"I was wondering..." Jason breathed in deeply.  
"...if you wanted to go out to get coffee with me or something, this Friday after school." Jason smiled at her, gently brushing his hand along his jaw.  
"Yeah, yeah, I'd love to get coffee or something" Piper grinned, when there was a sudden knock at the door.  
"Sorry, eh, Miss McLean, I was wondering if I could get some catch up French work. I just transferred here." A tallish boy with short sandy hair stood at the back of the classroom.  
"Sure, sure, come on in." Jason took a step back from Piper, as the boy came down to the front of the class.  
"You're a senior, right?" Piper asked, going round her desk to her computer.  
"Where'd you transfer from?" Jason asked the boy.  
"Apollo Rising." He answered, smiling nervously.   
"They have a really great American football team there, right?" Jason smiled at the boy.  
"Yeah, yeah, I used to play quarterback." The boy nodded.  
"Great, we're always looking to strengthen the team. I'm Mr Grace, I teach english."  
"Can i get your name?" Piper smiled up from the computer.  
"Matthew Chase." The boy grinned, as Piper froze slightly, before flashing him a smile.  
"Thanks Matthew, I'll get you some things for class tomorrow." Matthew nodded, before backing out of the classroom. Jason headed over to Piper, and brushed her arm.  
"You okay?" He asked, staring at her.  
"Yeah, but Annabeth might not be. You better get back to your class." Piper smiled at him, as he backed away.


	10. Chapter 10

"So, classes have been going on for a month now, we've been working with Greeks for a month now, and it still sorta feels like Greeks and Romans." Frank sighed, handing cups of tea to Leo and Hazel.  
"What do you think of the Greeks?" Hazel asked, smiling at Frank as he sat down beside them.  
"I don't know, I've pretty much avoided them since english teacher biffed me in that bar." Leo sighed, rubbing his jaw reminiscently.   
"I think they're okay." Frank shrugged, sipping on his tea.  
"Same." Hazel smiled at him, and Frank spluttered with his tea.  
"I think they're pretty good." Jason shrugged.  
"But i do wonder if any of us will get over the school rivalries." Jason scratched his chin.  
"I don't know." Hazel sighed.  
"But, what i do know, is those girls scare me." She stood up, checked her watch, and adjusted her burgundy skirt, before leaving the staff room.  
"What do you think of the Greeks Frank?"   
Frank swirled the bottom of his mug.  
"I think they're certainly less structured than we are." He stated.  
"Wow Frank, very diplomatic." Leo joked, as a bell rung.  
"Back to classes then." Reyna warned from across the room.  
"Yep Reyna." Jason smiled over at her as she tiredly walked out.   
"Is something up with Reyna?" Leo asked, gulping down the last of his tea.  
"I don't know." Jason sighed.  
"You know, as carefree as the greeks look, i think they all have some serious damage" Jason pondered, as Leo chuckled.  
"What makes you say that superman?" Leo began to wash out his mug.  
"Well, I was in a classroom with Piper, and-"  
"Woah, woah, woah. Is this another I'm-going-to-overanalyze-the-girl-I-like-so-I-can-hope-or-pretend-that-she's-as-dark-and-twisty-as-me sorta things?" Leo raised his eyebrows at him.  
"Shut up screwdriver. I'm not dark and twisty, and neither's Piper. I was just curious. " Jason shook his head.  
"Come on, we have a minute to get to class, and Reyna will kill us if we're late." Jason smiled at Leo, before dumping his mug, and heading off to class.


	11. Chapter 11

Annabeth looked out over the bleachers, down onto the playing fields. It was early morning, on a Friday, yet Clarisse still had teams out training. The lacrosse team had one part of the field, The football team had another, and the field hockey team had the last bit. As well as this, inside, the school gym was open, and the basketball team were practising.  
"Hey there wise girl." Percy grinned, dumping his bag down next to her, and pulling out two donuts, one of which he gave to Annabeth. His jet black hair was dripping with water, and a combination of the crisp morning air and his recent swimming session had made his cheeks flush slightly.  
"Hey," She smiled at him.  
"What you thinking about?"  
"Architectural stuff." she lied, and Percy laughed.  
"Please Annabeth, we've known each other long enough for me to know when you're lying." Percy stared at her, smiling slightly.   
"I was just thinking about camp. You know, the summer camp we both went to?" Annabeth smiled at him nervously.  
"Yeah, what about it?" Percy asked dorkily, taking a sip of his juice.  
"I was thinking about volunteering to help out there, this summer." She grimaced slightly.  
"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Annabeth still looked sorta worried.  
"Hey, if you want, I could come too." HE offered, and Annabeth smiled.  
"I'm just worried that he-"  
"He won't be there." Percy threw an arm over Annabeth's shoulder.  
"It'll be fun" He whispered, as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She could feel his heartbeating, and his breath on her skin. She looked up into his eyes, when suddenly they sprung apart, narrowly missing the football ball that'd been hurtled towards them.  
"Sorry Miss! Sorry Sir!" Chorused from the field, as they all traipsed off to get changed. Annabeth helped Percy up.  
"I'll come over to yours tonight?" Percy asked, smiling at her. Annabeth nodded happily, as they began to head into the main building.  
"Miss Dare!" Percy laughed, as a paint drenched Rachel appeared from the direction of the art department.  
"I'm honestly going to kill him!" She fumed, throwing her arms up and splattering the walls and Percy and Annabeth with red paint.  
"That little Troll!" She shrieked, drawing attention from some pupils.  
"Rach." Percy warningly laughed.  
"Just a small paint accident, keep walking please." Annabeth smiled at the pupils, who proceeded to run away.  
"You can use the staff changing room shower, I'll collect some clothes, if there is any..." Annabeth went to pat her friend's arm, before realising what a paint stained mess is was, and left her hand awkwardly hanging.  
"Ughh!" Rachel flounced off dramatically down the corridor, as Percy and Annabeth chuckled.  
"I'll try and collect together some clothes, can you find someone to babysit her first period class?" Annabeth asked, smiling at Percy, who was still laughing away to himself.  
"I'm off first, I'll take it." He went off down the corridor, as Annabeth tried to collect some clothes together.  
*  
"Here's another video!" Frank laughed, as he clicked on the 'Turkey snowboarding' video. Hazel bent down to see it, laughing, and Frank caught a whiff of her hair. Hazel, no matter what, always smelt, so so good. Frank smiled as he watched her laugh.  
"So, Hazel, I was wondering, if, eh, maybe you'd like to go out for dinner tonight?" He asked, smiling at her.  
"Sure, yeah, I was supposed to be going out with Nico anyway, we'd love for you to join us! Look, a dog playing the trumpet!" Hazel giggled, as Annabeth burst through the door.  
"Hey, Hazel, Frank, I was wondering if either of you had any spare t-shirt or anything. Rac-Oct-Rachel got paint spilled on her, and she needs clothes. I already found her these." Annabeth proudly showed her the paint stained dungaree style trousers.  
"Poor Rachel, I'm really sorry though, I don't have any T-shirts, or anything." SHe smiled nervously.   
"I do!" Frank enthusiastically pulled a shirt from his saddle bag.  
"Great!" Annabeth smirked to herself, before skipping off. How exactly would Rachel-who was only 5'4-fit into Frank's shirt-who was 6'3.  
"I better get back to my classroom." Frank stated.  
"I'll see you tonight?" He called out, as a few students began to enter the class. Hazel was too busy to reply. Sighing, Frank headed off to his classroom. This was the fifth time he'd tried to ask Hazel out, and it was the fifth time she'd mistaken him. Frank groaned, before lecturing some students about walking while on their phones.  
*  
Rachel angrily washed her hair. That damned Octavian! Spilling a whole tub of red paint over her! She angrily groaned to herself, before the water began to run clear. Hopeful that all the bloody paint was off her now, she switched off the water, and pulled in her towel. There was a bang outside the shower room door. Rachel continued to herself, before there was a small hissing noise.   
"Hello?" Rachel called out, and someone swore slightly before there was a bang of the door. Rachel stepped out into the changing rooms, her soaking, still-red-no-longer-paint-stained hair tied up in a messy style bun, wrapped in a towel.  
"What's up?" Annabeth asked, swinging into the changing room, holding a bundle of clothes. Rachel jumped about a foot in the air.  
"Holy Gods Annabeth!" Rachel cried, clutching her chest.   
"Was there someone in here?" She asked, as Annabeth handed her the bundle of clothes.  
"No, I don't think so." Annabeth shrugged.  
"The shirt's Frank's, so good luck." Annabeth laughed.  
"Percy's covering your first period class, but, I've got to get going." Annabeth grinned, as she backed out the room. Rachel quickly got changed, into the dungarees and the huge, huge, huge shirt. Rachel sighed, and grabbed her makeup bag from her stuff, and headed over to the row of sinks.   
She carefully began to apply mascara, before she noticed the small plastic stick on the sink. Rachel picked it up, and watched in change before her eyes. Pregnant. Rachel glanced around the room, before depositing the stick in the bin. Who the hell was pregnant?


	12. Chapter 12

They all sat awkwardly round the staff room. Without meaning to, there was a clear divide between the Romans and the Greeks, the only people mingling being Jason and Piper, who were sitting, chatting and flirting intently. Chiron wheeled in.  
"Teachers." He called out, breaking the vaguely awkward silence.   
"I am expecting all of you to attend the Truth sleepover in school tomorrow." He smiled at the teachers, who groaned a little.  
"Tomorrows a Saturday." Octavian called out from the corner snootily.   
"As I am well aware Mr Octavian. I still expect all to attend." Chiron raised his eyebrows, looking extremely intimidating, before wheeling himself over to the door.  
"Those of you who volunteered to stay overnight with the seniors must come to my office after school."  
"Sir." Rachel called out, following him out the room.  
"Can I come see you after school at your office today? I-well, I'll fill you in later. I suspect we'll have to file a report." She smiled at him, as he chuckled slightly.  
"Interesting choice of attire Miss Dare." He smirked at her.  
"Yes, that's another incident I'd like to file a complaint about." She smiled slightly, before Chiron wheeled away.  
Rachel sighed, before heading along to her classroom.


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey Ni-Mr Di Angelo" Will swung into Nico's classroom, abruptly changing mid-sentence as he saw some of the pupils sitting in Nico's classroom. Nico glared at him slightly.  
"Sorry, I didn't think there'd be anyone in here." Nico's scowl lessened for a second, as Will headed over to his desk.  
"Just tutoring some pupils. They recently moved over from Italy so I'm helping them with their english." Nico smirked slightly at Will. As usual, Nico was dressed in all black. His shaggy black hair hung about his face, scruffily, but from what Will could tell from the corridors, the pupils thought it suited him as much as he did. He was wearing a plain black shirt, tucked in to black jeans, the sleeves pulled partly up his arms. He spoke out to the students in Italian, as they began to pack up, before he turned to Will.  
"Will. What is it?" Nico smiled slightly at him, as Will subtly slid his hand towards Nico's.   
"I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my place tonight?" Will smiled at him. For a moment, Nico looked happy.  
"No, I can't." He stated, before turning away from him.  
"Why? Do you want to go someplace else?" Will stared at Nico, who suddenly straightened up.  
"I-My father'll be coming into town. I can't." He stated, before practically running out of his classroom. Will rubbed his head. He and Nico had been going good, they'd been going out for coffee almost every day, they'd-well, they'd been intimate. But, the past few days, he'd been distant. Avoiding him. And Will couldn't figure out why. He trailed along the corridors, before finally stopping at Hazel's. He hesitantly chapped on the door.  
"Come in." She called out. He entered Hazel's classroom, heading down to the front. She was engulfed in her computer, with some rock under the microscope behind her, her frizzy hair hastily stuck behind one ear.  
"Will." She glanced up, and smiled.  
"Are you coming for dinner tonight?" She asked him, sticking the pen she'd been writing with behind her ear.  
"No, actually, I was wondering if I could ask you about Nico." Will smiled at her, slightly nervously.  
"What about him?" Hazel went to push up her glasses, accidentally poking herself in the eyes, before realising that she wasn't wearing them.  
"He's been acting strange. Distant." Will shrugged.  
"I don't know if he's going to break up with me or-" Will's voice wavered slightly.  
"No, no, Will, it's not that. It's just- don't tell Nico i told you this, but, it's just a bad time with family stuff." Hazel sighed.  
"What sorta family stuff?" Will frowned.  
"Nico's-Just family stuff." She sighed. Will rubbed his head, before leaving Hazel to her work.


	14. Chapter 14

Piper stood, anxiously tapping her foot, just outside the door of her apartment building. She nervously went to push some hair back behind her ear, before remembering she'd tied it all up. Though she usually tried to dress casually, she'd dressed up for this date. It was a date, right? Her and Jason. He'd asked her out for 'coffee or something', and when she'd texted him to arrange it, he'd told her to dress fancy. Was she too fancy? Piper soothed her nerves as she soothed the skirt of her dress. She was wearing a long white dress, that had been described as 'Greek' by the lady at the store. Annabeth had gushed, which was rare for her when it came to fashion, and told her it made her look like a goddess. She'd had the dress for six months, but this was the first time she'd worn it out. She'd been saving it for something-someone special. And that was Jason, right? Piper nervously tapped her foot, as a dark black car pulled up. The door swung open, and Jason appeared above the car. He burst into a grin, before whispering 'wow'. Piper glanced nervously at the ground, smiling to her self. Jason came round the car.  
"You look beautiful. Well, tu es très belle" Jason grinned at her dorkily, and Piper blushed slightly. This was weird, she never blushed.  
"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself." She grinned at him, as he tugged at the collar of his shirt. He pulled open the passanger seat door.   
"After you" He smirked.  
"Why thank you Mr Grace."  
"No problem Miss McLean." He carefully shut the door behind her, before looking up at the sky.   
"Holy jesus." Piper heard him mutter from inside the car. Piper smirked. The dress had had the desired affect then.


	15. Chapter 15

Annabeth threw herself down on the couch beside Percy, who was busy digging Chinese out the bag.   
"So," She asked, munching down on a prawn cracker,   
"What we watching?" She grinned at Percy.  
"I was thinking Clueless." Percy grinned dorkily from next to her.  
"Seriously Perce, again?!" Annabeth laughed.  
"You're obsessed seaweed brain!" She joked, as Percy broke two pairs of chopsticks.  
"Here. And I get to chose tonight, you chose last time." Percy smirked, handing Annabeth her meal.  
"Whyyyyy Clueless again though?" Annabeth batted her eyelids at Percy.  
"Clueless is amazing! It has basically everything! High school students who are sassy, teachers who fall in love, two people you know belong together who end up together...Good jokes." Percy finished, blushing slightly, as he reached forward to grab the remote. As he brushed past, Annabeth could smell his cologne. Percy smelt like the seaside. Not the gross, rotting seaweed smell, but the tanning in the sun, splashing in the waves, laughing, memories smell. Annabeth pulled herself together as Percy settled in next to her.  
"So, how do you think tomorrow'll go?" Percy asked, stuffing noodles into his face.   
"I have no idea. I think it'll be a miracle if we get out of it without at least two fights." Annabeth sighed, moving so she was sitting crosslegged on the couch. Clueless began playing in the background.  
"Yeah, I broke up six fights today. And the Sophomores have a prank war going on." Percy sighed, his leg brushing up against Annabeth's. He began to joke on his noodles, before it cleared.  
"Yeah, well, the Romans aren't all that bad." Annabeth grinned.  
"What do you mean?" Percy asked, his heart sinking slightly. Did Annabeth-was Annabeth seeing someone?  
"Just that Piper seems quite happy with them. And Will." She stated, grinning at him.  
"What about you? You got your eye on some handsome roman?" Percy grinned halfheartedly. Annabeth stared down at her food.  
"No. You?" Annabeth glanced up at him, and for a split-second Percy considered leaning over and kissing her. But instead he just grabbed a prawn cracker.  
"No." Percy grinned at her.  
"How funny did rach look this morning?" Annabeth laughed, and Percy grinned. He could listen to that sound all day.  
"Gods, she looked so comical!"   
"Did you manage to snap a picture?" Annabeth asked, laughing to herself.  
"Duh! I'm thinking it can be our birthday card for her." Annabeth burst out laughing again.  
"She's having a party, right?"   
"Yeah, and I'm sure she'd love to see her paint-stained self on a card!"   
"At least it'll be better than last years!" Percy joked, as Annabeth almost died from laughing, clutching her sides.   
"Gods seaweed brain!" She laughed out, her grey eyes sparkling.   
"I'll get the popcorn and stuff," Percy smiled, placing a hand on Annabeth's knee as he stood up. He entered the kitchen, before leaning his head on the cool surface of the cupboard. Gods, he had to get over this crush on Annabeth. Was crush even the right word anymore? Gods, he was in love with his best friend. He was definitely totally screwed. Especially considering his best friend was the incredible, beautiful, remarkable, amazing Annabeth Chase. Percy sighed, before grabbing the bag of all blue M n Ms he'd acquired, and heading back out to where Annabeth was laughing. Gods, he loved that sound.


	16. Chapter 16

"Are we getting payed extra for this?" Rachel muttered, practically inhaling her coffee, as they watched Percy and Jason break up another fight.  
"I have no idea, but Rach, it's three in the afternoon, why are you acting as though you just woke up?" Piper asked, nudging her.  
"Many reasons." She said, mysteriously wriggling her eyebrows , as Annabeth nudged her.  
"Come on rach, spill the beans." Annabeth joked.  
"Yeah, we all know why I'm not tired." Piper humphed.   
"Seriously though, not even a hug?"  
"Nothing." Piper sighed, running a hand through her hair.  
"I looked amazing! It was that dress-Annabeth, remember that dress? I was wearing that!" Piper sighed exasperatedly. Thalia crossed in front of them.  
"Thalia!" Annabeth grinned, jumping up happily out of her seat.  
"Come sit with us!" She exclaimed happily.  
"Yeah Thal, it feels like we haven't spoken to you in forever!" Piper grinned, and even Rachel, who was practically dying over her cup of coffee looked up and smiled.  
"I-eh-I-no-I can't today." She stuttered, before trying to run off. Annabeth grabbed her arm.  
"Thals, what's going on?" She whispered.  
"Nothing Annabeth. Just leave it, okay?!" Thalia yanked her arm free before running off. Piper gently brushed her friend's arm, before glancing at Rachel.  
"Okay, so Rach, what caused your disturbed sleep?" Piper smirked at her.  
"Connor Stoll threw a party, so Travis and me-Travis slept over." Rachel blushed slightly.   
"Oh la la." Piper said, giggling at Rachel as she blushed, covering her face in her hands.  
"It was a one time thing." Rachel promised.  
"That's what you said last time." Annabeth said in a sing-songy voice, wriggling her eyebrows at her.  
"Shut it." Rachel laughed, as Percy ran along the corridor.  
"Hey, we've all to come to the sports hall." Percy grinned, that one sided grin that made Annabeth's heart race.  
"Come on."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm really sorry for the infrequent updates! The school holiday finished, so now I've got school and a shit-load of homework to do, but I will try to update as much as possible   
> :)

Leo jerked awake as seniors began to file out of the classroom door, just by him.  
"Hmy? Whatdidamiss?" He grunted, as Frank tutted, and Jason laughed.  
"Not much. I'm surprised more of them didn't fall asleep" Jason joked, switching of the projector beside him.  
"Where they off to now?"   
"Dinner. We're getting it during their free time." Jason shrugged, as Leo stood up and began to jump up and down.  
"At least we don't have to supervise overnight!" Leo bounced up and down excitedly.  
"I have to." Jason replied, as Frank muttered glumly.   
"What's up panda man?" Leo punched Frank on the arm, shaking off his hand. Panda man was a nickname Leo'd given Frank when, in his first week of teaching at Romania, they'd been on a trip to the local zoo, and the pandas had followed him up and down the inclosure, pawing at the glass.   
"Don't call me that." Frank scowled at him.  
"Well, my shift for this day is over in an hour, so, enjoy it." Leo grinned at them.  
"Fuck off Leo" Jason laughed. Frank grumbled something about going to his classroom, before heading off, pausing to yell at some seniors who were on their phones.  
"Why's he in such a grump?" Leo pulled a face at him behind his back.  
"He's probably just grumpy about Hazel, and how she has no idea that he keeps trying to ask her out." Jason laughed.  
"He should just be glad he has someone." Leo chuckled.  
"Hey, Piper has me!" Jason protested weakly.  
"Dude, you don't have a chance. You didn't even kiss her goodnight. I mean, a handshake?!" Leo laughed at his friend.  
"A handshake! Dude if you got a date with someone as hot as Miss McLean you should perform!" A student nearby laughed, as his friends sniggered.  
"Lorenzo, you should be at dinner. And i did perform."  
"Yeah, you shook her hand." Lorenzo laughed again.  
"Good thing you'll never know Lorenzo" His friends laughed, as they began to trail off to the dining hall.  
"Seriously though man, a handshake! God, Piper was way into you, and will almost definitely be upset about that." Leo sighed, shaking his head.  
"Is it really that bad?" Jason bit his lip, stretching his thin scar.  
Leo looked up at him seriously, before sighing, shaking his head.  
"It's extremely bad." Leo smiled sadly at his pal.  
"But, luckily, I'm sure your dashing good looks will help. So, go find her! Kiss the hell out of her! everyone loves romantic gestures. Apologise, make out, let her know how much you like her. Trust the Leo-nator." Leo thumped him on the back. Jason nodded, slightly dazed.  
"Now superman!" Leo exclaimed, before Jason rushed off, grinning dorkily, to Piper's classroom.  
*  
"This was a good idea." Annabeth grinned, shoving a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.  
"You're not the only clever one here wise girl." Percy smirked, laughing, before hesitantly reaching his thumb out, and wiping a smudge of ice-cream off the tip of her nose, grabbing another spoonful of ice-cream.  
"Today was a complete waste of a saturday." Percy wrinkled his nose.  
"I know! It completely strayed from our normal routine, but in a bad way." Annabeth stated, lying back on the ground next to Percy.  
"Yeah, my classroom isn't quite as nice as my apartment, or the coffee shop downstairs." Percy laughed, kicking his feet up onto one of the chairs behind the desk they were lying under. Annabeth was facing the other way.  
"And it certainly doesn't have a patch on yours" Percy joked, smiling. Annabeth giggled, before glancing at her watch.  
"ugh, Perce, I've got to go. I've got to monitor the hall, I'm taking over for Pipes." Annabeth sighed, trying to sit up before bashing her head off the table. She groaned, rubbing it slightly.  
"Ow." Percy laughed, swinging out from under the table.  
"See you afterwards?" Annabeth asked.  
"Definitely." Percy grinned, before gesturing to the bunch of papers on his desk.   
"I'll be here, grading papers." He shrugged.  
"See ya wise girl."  
*  
"Hey Pipes, sorry I'm running a few minutes late, I was distra-I was with Percy." Annabeth grinned bashfully.  
"How're you?" she nudged her friend.  
"Fine, I'm just worried." Piper scanned the dining hall, nibbling at her fingernails.   
"About what?" Annabeth smiled at her.  
"Jason wants me to swing by his classroom." Piper continued to nibble. Annabeth stared at her friend.  
"You really, really like him." Annabeth stated, watching her friend blush slightly.  
"Yeah." She mumbled. Like most of them, surprisingly, she hadn't had the happiest home life. Her father'd been away a lot, and her mother had died when she was a baby, so she'd never really had parents.  
"He seems like a nice guy." Annabeth smiled at her.  
"Even if he is a bit of a wuss. Girls can make the first move you know" And with that, Piper chuckled.  
"Maybe you should take your own advice." She jumped down off the table they'd been perched on.  
"I'm off to find what Jason wants." She skipped away, as Annabeth settled into her own thoughts, her eyes flirting out around the room, keeping an eye on the restless senior students, milling about the dining hall.


	18. Chapter 18

"Wait! Thal!" Jason jogged out of his classroom, catching his sister's arm. She threw her dark hair out of her face, a fierce look plastered across it, but Jason could see the lingering remainder of tears on her face.  
"Thal, you okay?" He asked, trying to place a comforting hand on his arm, which she swatted away.  
"I'm fine!" She scowled.   
"You've been pretty distant lately, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my apartment tomorrow for dinner?" Jason suggested, smiling at his sister.  
"No." Thalia tried to walk away, but Jason sidestepped in front of her.  
"Thal. You can tell me anything. What's wrong?"  
"Nothing! Jason, leave me alone!" She huffed, avoiding her brother's concerned glances.  
"Thalia! You're my sister! If there's something wron-"  
"Half-sister!" Thalia snapped back.  
"Jason, leave me alone! Just because we share a father doesn't mean you're my brother! I got along perfectly fine when i didn't know you existed! And, if you're forgetting, while you were being tutored and taught by your private middle school, I was avoiding the bottles my mother was throwing at me! So, fuck off Jason! I don't need you!" Thalia yanked her arm out of Jason's grip, and barged past him, tears welling up in her eyes, as Jason stared after her, wounded. Jason slowly began to wander back to his classroom. There was something up with Thalia. She'd tell him, when she was ready. She was just upset. Jason shook the thoughts of Thalia out of his head, focusing on Piper. Piper was coming to meet him in his classroom, Jason thought excitedly to himself. She was the one, he knew she was. She was sweet, beautiful, outstandingly intelligent, independent, she lived for herself. Jason grinned to himself, forcing thoughts of Thalia out of his head. She'd come to him when she was ready, right?  
*  
"Aren't you glad we didn't have to do that truth day thing?" Nico asked Will, sitting down on the couch. Will was sitting hunched over his computer, scrolling through his emails.   
"Yeah, thank god." Will muttered back, typing at his computer. Nico stared at him, before raising his eyebrows. He sat down his vodka, and headed over to the chair Will was sitting in, gently beginning to massage his shoulders.   
"Nico, you know I have to get this done." Will groaned, as Nico smirked more to himself. Gently, he began to kiss down Will's neck, gently wrapping his arms round his torso.  
"Nico." Will whimpered, as NIco crawled round the front.  
"I've got to get this assignment sent out. It'll be dull, but i need to do it." Nico smirked up at him.  
"I can think of a way to make it fun."  
*  
"Never, ever, have I had two students acting so disrespectfully towards each other. You two are classmates, teammates, yet you insist in having a public fist-fight, on a day above discovering and learning about each other. Any school rivalries between you, died with the destruction of the two schools. I am thoroughly disappointed in both of you. Never have I seen two senior pupils act with such disrespect and dishonor against each other. You will both have detention until the end of term, ensuring that no matter what you do, you two will be together. If you get caught in another fight, I will ensure that you two are both suspended. You're dismissed." Chiron stated, staring with disgust at the two students, before sighing and flicking his hand, turning away in his chair. The two students stared at the ground walking out, both red-faced.  
"Wow," Annabeth laughed.  
"You really can be scary." She smiled at him.  
"Yes, well I never had to be scary with you." Chiron smiled at her.  
"I just never thought that Marcus and Michael would fight like that." Annabeth shrugged.  
"Yes, well, despite our best efforts, combining the schools doesn't seem to have worked effectively." Chiron sighed.  
"I think it has, perhaps. There's been significantly less fighting, we're down to three a day." Annabeth smiled, as Chiron chuckled.  
"The tension is almost as high as when you were at school." Chiron rubbed his head with a tired hand.  
"Yeah... Shall I still come over to the big house tomorrow night? Bring our usual dinner?" Annabeth smiled at Chiron.  
"Yes Annabeth dear, that would be lovely." Chiron smiled at her, as Annabeth began to push his wheelchair out of his office.  
*  
Leo glanced around the bar, that was buzzing with an intense atmosphere. Though most people Leo knew loved Furies bar, Leo loved Ogygia. It didn't quite have the dark, storm-like musty atmosphere furies did, but it had a slightly hipster, guitar-twangy music feeling, that Leo loved. And it was further away from the school. Leo sipped his whiskey, as a girl down the bar glanced up to him. She had dark almond eyes, that were very obviously checking Leo out. She ran a hand through her caramel hair, as Leo ran a hand through his dark, dense, controlled curls. Leo glanced at her again, before taking a last swig of his whiskey, sliding a few seats down next to her.  
"Hey," He smirked, and the girl smiled, pouting up at him.  
"Hey." She bit her lip.   
"I'm leo." Leo stuck a hand out, and the girl slipped her hand into his.  
"Calypso"   
*  
Piper casually chapped on the side of the door, and Jason bolted up straight, his hair messy and his glasses sitting on top of his head squintly. The papers on his table were scattered and slightly crumpled. He smiled softly at her, one side of his mouth lifting cutely, his small thin scar stretching.   
"Hey, Pipes." He grinned, before quickly brushing a little drool from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.  
"Having a nap were we?" Piper raised her eyebrows.  
"Oh, eh- well, yeah." Jason smiled, jumping up from his desk and coming round to the front of the table, leaning against it. Piper could see his muscles, his shirt bulging slightly. Piper headed down to the front of the classroom, standing about two meters away from Jason.  
"What's up?" She asked, pursing her lips slightly.  
"Okay." Jason sighed.  
"What?" Piper questioned, staring at him confusedly. Jason sat up off the table, striding over to her, leaning over her slightly.  
"Listen, Piper, I have something to say" Piper could feel Jason's breath tingling on her skin.  
"I'm so sorry for last night. I really, really like you. I just, chickened out. I didn't have the smoothest upbringing, and I just got scared, and I got scared because I like you." Jason sighed out, nibbling his top lip, blushing slightly.  
"I like you Piper. And if you'd let me, I'd like to take you out for a second one. Date I mean." Jason smiled, blushing more.  
"If you want to I mean-" Jason began to ramble before Piper cut him off with a kiss. Fireworks exploded.  
*  
Annabeth was stalking along the corridor, smiling to herself, rounding rouge students up. They were going to be lectured in the hall, before being allocated sleeping arrangements. There was a cough from behind her.  
"Miss Chase?" A voice asked from behind her.  
"You, should be in the hall-" Annabeth began, before spinning around, tailing off slowly. She was faced by a boy with blonde hair like her own, the California-glow skin like her own, but different, striking green eyes.  
"Matthew." She sighed, staring at the boy. The last time she'd seen him, he was just a little kid. So was she, really.  
"Annabeth." he stated.  
"Our father-" He began, before stopping himself.  
"How is he?" Annabeth asked. For all of her adult life, he'd been a card on her birthday and Christmas. Almost all of her summer since she was seven had been at a summer camp. She'd ran away frequently since she was six, living with Chiron throughout her high school years, which started earlier than most. She'd been clever, and had managed to skip some grades. As soon as she'd been able to leave, she had.  
"He's okay. He got a paper published. He talks about you." The boy stated, burying his hands in his pockets.  
"that's a lie." Annabeth said automatically, avoiding his eye contact, and the boy laughed slightly.  
"That was a lie. He doesn't talk about you, but he does think about you." Matthew smiled awkwardly.   
"Your mother?"  
"Fine." They stood in silence for a minute, as a feeling of nauseousness washed over Annabeth.   
"Me and Bobby, we have another sister. You-she came after you were gone. At the minute she goes to Hunterson, but she's transferring here." The boy smiled.  
"I was wondering if you would want to get coffee some time, or something, catch up. I want to know more about you."  
"Maybe." Annabeth pursed her lips.  
"Tomorrow, there's a coffee shop, 11th and 9th, meet me there, 12 o'clock." Annabeth stated, gulping, as the boy eagerly nodded.  
"Can-please don't tell your father. You should head down to the hall, room sleeping assignments are being issued." Matthew nodded, before strolling off down the corridor. As soon as he was out of sight, Annabeth rested her head against the cool glass, breathing out slowly and shakily. Her father. Her brothers. A sister? Annabeth had presumed she'd never see them again, let alone work at the same school as her-her, her family. Family. Annabeth closed her eyes. Family was a term she thought would never apply to anyone but Chiron, Percy and Thalia ever again.


	19. Chapter 19

Annabeth breathed in and out shakingly. She just met her brother. Her brother. A tear ran down Annabeth's face. She'd moved so far on in her life, she wasn't the same person she was back then. Not even slightly. Annabeth slowed her breathing, trying to prevent herself from panicking. She'd finally learned to let people in again, she'd finally began to trust people again, and now, her father was back. Annabeth heard someone pad along the corridor behind her, and quickly began to fiercely wipe her tears away. A hand was placed on her back.  
"Annabeth? Want some tea?" Rachel asked, staring concernedly at her, before guiding her along the corridor to the art base, as Annabeth let tears freely fall down her face.   
*  
Piper grinned to herself, skipping along the corridor. Jason had kissed her. Jason liked her. A lot. Piper couldn't hold back her smile. She wasn't one of those girls who believed in true love, or the magic of love. Piper didn't. She'd seen her father live his life heartbroken, putting on a good face, after her mother had died. She knew that not everything had a happy fairytale ending. But maybe this was the exception.  
*  
Thalia stood up the back of the hall, as Octavian lectured all the students. Like most of the hall, she wasn't paying attention. How had she yelled at Jason like that? He was her brother. Half-brother Thalia reminded herself.  
How did she manage to get herself in situation? Thalia shook the thoughts out of her head. She'd deal with it the way she knew how to; pretend it didn't exist.   
*  
"Hey" Frank swung through Hazel's classroom door, smiling at her. She glanced up at him from her desk.  
"Frank." She smiled happily, the sad look on her face drifting away. There was a cough from the back of the room.  
"And Nico...?" Frank stared at him confusedly.  
"I thought you and will didn't have to do this."  
"We don't." Nico stood, slouching.  
"I'll talk to you about it later Hazel." He glared at Frank before storming off out the room. Frank stared after him.  
"Is everything okay?" Frank asked, turning and asking Hazel, who's hand was resting against her face, her glasses sticking out.  
"It all will be in the end." She sighed, running a hand through the bottom of her amazing hair. She perched on the edge of the desk.  
"Are you here overnight?" Frank asked, sticking his hands in his pockets, smiling at her hopefully.  
"Yeah, I was supposed to be, but I swapped out with Rachel, it's-it's nothing." Hazel smiled slightly, adjusting her skirt.  
"You know you can tell me anything, right Haze?" Frank went over and perched next to her, smiling at her. She just smiled back slightly sadly.   
"If I told you everything, you'd surely hate me." She smiled sadly, her eyes watering slightly.  
"I could never hate you." Frank stated, staring into Hazel's eyes, as she turned to face him. Frank could practically feel her heart beating. He leaned in, ready to kiss her, when she suddenly turned her head away, oblivious, standing up.  
"Come on Frankie, we'd better head down." She grabbed his hand, pulling him up off the desk. Frank sighed to himself. How could she not see he liked her?  
*  
"It's my brother." Annabeth confessed, as Rachel handed her a cup of tea, before curling up on the couch next to her. Though it wasn't really Annabeth's style, Rachel's unofficial art base (the official one had been 'corrupted' by Octavian) was one of Annabeth's favourite places in the school. It was cobbled together furniture, most of which was slightly broken or paint-splattered, but it all fitted together perfectly. Annabeth thought it was like the teachers.  
"You have a brother?" Rachel asked, and Annabeth could see her eyes widen slightly. Rachel had known Percy before, but Annabeth had only met her when she came to teach here.  
"Two actually. And a sister." Annabeth sighed.  
"Did you not want to see him?" Rachel took a sip of her tea, as Annabeth stared down into the mug.  
"I've never really known them. I knew my half-brothers when they were small, and I've never met the girl. She'd moving here."   
"How young are they then?"   
"Matthew's a senior, Bobby's a junior, the girl's a freshman." Rachel patted her friend's arm. Annabeth could see her brain whizzing, trying to calculate the maths of it.  
"I-the kids seem nice enough, it's just my father. And my stepmother. I ran away from home when i was seven for a reason." Annabeth had dumped her mug on the table, and was massaging her head.  
"Seven!" Rachel exclaimed  
"Sorry Annie."  
"Don't call me that." She scowled, before sighing.  
"My parents were only together for six months. A whirlwind romance, probably. He never told me much about her. My father was a university Professor, he wasn't ready for children, and he certainly wasn't ready for me. Then he got remarried. Sasha." Annabeth muttered bitterly.  
"You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to." Rachel reminded her.  
"Someone has to know."  
"Anyway, he got remarried. She only wanted perfection, normality, which was evidently not me. I was ahead two grades, argued with the teachers, I was dyslexic... I wasn't her dream child, or my father's. Then they had Matthew, and Sasha claimed I was trying to be attention seeking, I-I told them about my babysitter hitting me sometimes, and scaring me with spiders, and she didn't believe me, and my father didn't care, so I ran away. That was the night I met Thal. Thal and L-Luke. You know what rich people in small towns are like, so they found us, took us back, I got sent back home, no-one was told. They began to send me to this summercamp, that Chiron ran. I was the youngest by two or three years, at least, Chiron looked after me. I went to the summer camp every year, ran away a few times a year... I met Percy when I was eleven, he came to camp. I presuming you already know about him, and it's not my story to tell, but we became close. Stayed in contact always. A few of the times I ran away, I ran away to him. Then, when I started highschool, I was only twelve, Chiron took me in. He helped me, looked after me, and I had Thal, and L-Luke, and Percy, and I didn't need my father or Sasha. They didn't like me, he ignored me, they....- they weren't good parents. I graduated at sixteen, I left. I've not seen them since." Annabeth stated, still staring down into her mug.  
"But now your brother has showed up." Rachel stated, smiling sadly at her.  
"Now my brother has showed up. And I'm supposed to be going for coffee with him tomorrow." She buried her head in her hands.  
"I'm going to cancel." She shook her head.  
"But you can't" Rachel took Annabeth's hand.  
"I can't." Annabeth leaned her head down against Rachel's shoulder.   
"Matthew isn't a bad kid. My father isn't a bad man. Sasha probably isn't either. They just weren't prepared for the tornado that was me." Annabeth smiled sadly.  
"More tea?"  
"Got anything stronger?"  
*  
Piper began to approach Jason-her boyfriend's (would she ever get used to that?)-classroom. She smiled to herself again. Piper knew she was basically acting like a lovestruck teenager, but Piper couldn't help it. Jason was plaguing her thoughts, and they'd only had one date. One kiss. She swung into the English corridor, passing Percy's class.  
"Hey, sorry I-" She began., swinging into the classroom, to find Jason and Reyna, kissing. Piper froze. Jason and Reyna. Jason and Reyna. Jason. Jason quickly pushed her off, and ran up to her.  
"Piper, eh, sorry-" Piper stared at him, before turning away. Jason tells her he really really likes her, then he kisses Reyna? God, Piper should've known nothing ever works out. At least not for her.


	20. Chapter 20

"Piper? Piper?!" PIper could hear Jason yelling, before she quickly ducked in some doorway. She leaned against it, breathing heavily. Outside it, she could hear Jason pacing around, mumbling her name. Why did she even think it would work? She heard Jason whisper her voice, as she slid down to the floor. She felt a tear dribble down her face. She wiped it off. Jason wasn't worth crying for. It'd been one date. They hadn't been exclusive. She didn't like him that much. She didn't like him that much. If she said it enough, it would become true, right?  
*  
Percy's phone rang. He looked up from the papers, to see Leo calling him. Cautiously, he answered. They were on good terms now, but not close enough that he'd be calling him at quarter to ten at night.  
"hello?"  
"Jason! Holy gods, I met this girl. She's amazing, out of this world! She's sassy, and independent, and incredible. Gods Jason, it's been one night and I think I'm in love! I've got to go." Leo yelled excitedly into the phone, before Leo hung up. Percy paused, before glancing back at his papers. Deciding to give up on them, he kicked back on his chair, scrolling through his contacts, pausing at Annabeth. He was about to click on it's icon, ready to dial, when there was a knock on his door. Percy glanced up.  
"Reyna?"  
Tonight was full of surprises.  
*  
"And when my parents got back, me and connor were pretending to play the xbox, and they didn't even notice the bottle of vodka sticking out inside my shirt." Rachel laughed,and Annabeth joined in.  
"The first time I stole alcohol from my parents I was 15, I'd just arrived home to find out that they'd all gone on holiday, some work think, I was babysitting. I filled up both my hip flask, and just took the bottles, hid them behind my wall. When my parents got back I told them that I'd had to go to a school thing, and had hired a babysitter, and they must have stolen all of the alcohol." Annabeth laughed.  
"What did you do with all of it?" Rachel asked, laughing.  
"Drank it whenever needed." Annabeth laughed.  
"Thanks for cheering me up Rach. I'm going to go find Percy." Annabeth pushed herself up out of the chair.  
"You should just kiss him." Rachel advised, and Annabeth blushed.  
"I don't like him like that." She stated.  
"Who you trying to convince, me or yourself? Percy's a great guy. You know it." Rachel stared at her.  
"He is. Great I mean."   
*  
"Hazel, are you okay?" Frank body blocked her.  
"Frank, I have to go." She stated, trying to move past him.  
"Hazel." He stared at her.  
"It's family stuff. Frank, please move. I have to get going." Frank didn't budge.  
"Listen, Frank, I like you, but you have to move now, please, otherwise I will put the self defense classes I took as a teen to good use." Hazel nudged past him, basically running off out to the car. Frank stared after her. This was the first time she'd said anything vaguely rude to anyone.   
What was going on in her family?  
*  
"Thalia." Someone called out from across the corridor, and Thalia glanced back, noticing the familiar mop of deep red hair.  
"Dare." She called out back, as Rachel ran up towards her.  
"What is it?" Thalia glared at her.  
"I was just wondering-"  
"Leave me alone Dare." Thalia began to storm away, before Rachel grabbed her arm.   
"You need to stop shutting people out." She stated.  
"I don't know what's going on with you, but if you need help, or someone to talk to, you're not alone." Rachel gently let go.   
"Nothing is wrong." Thalia stared straight ahead.  
"I'm late." She stated, before storming off. It was true in more than one respect.   
*  
"Reyna, what can I do for you?" Percy asked, as she gently shut the door, before strutting down to the front of the classroom. She slid down the desk, perching just by Percy.  
"Reyna?" Reyna smirked, slightly biting her lip, before extending a hand and placing it on his arm. Percy tensed up slightly. He and Reyna weren't enemies but they weren't friends.  
"You're an attractive guy Percy" She drawled, running her fingers up and down his arm.  
"I'm an attractive girl..." SHe turned and smirked at him.  
"Rey-" Reyna placed a finger on his lips.  
"I know you want to see what's under this coat." She whispered, drawing out her voice, before bending down and kissing him. There was a startle at the end of the classroom, and he looked up to see Annabeth. He gently grabbed the sides of Reyna's arms, pushing her off.  
"Reyna-sorry-I can't." He muttered, before standing up and heading off out the classroom.  
He glanced down to the end of the corridor. Had Annabeth seen Reyna hitting on him? Great. His best friend, the girl he loved, thought he might be hooking up with someone else. Percy froze. The girl he loved? I mean he'd liked Annabeth for like ever, but he wasn't in love with her, right...? God, he was screwed.


	21. Chapter 21

Before looking slyly down the corridor, Annabeth ducked into the store cupboard, and felt around on the back door. She felt the lock click, before the hidden door swung open. She strolled up the steps, playing with her fingers, before emerging up on the roof. She could see Percy's arms from back here, and her heart sunk, as she reminded herself what she'd caught Percy doing. She should have known that he wouldn't like her like that, she was just his friend. His broken, sisterly friend.   
"Hey Perce." She called out, and he grinned over from where he was sitting, leaning back against the the silver air duct coming out the roof, his feet tucked up near him.  
"Hey." He grinned, one side of his mouth moving higher than the other. Annabeth picked her way across the roof, before sitting down next to Percy. He threw his arm across her shoulder, the way he always did, as Annabeth lay her head down on his shoulder.  
"Good star night tonight." He stated, staring up at the sky that was glimmering.  
"Yeah, we can see all of them. Look, Bob."  
"And Zoe." The two smiled at each other, a little sadly.   
"Rachel said you were upset earlier." Percy nudged her slightly.  
"Yeah, it's nothing." Annabeth sighed, staring up at the sky.  
"Come on wise girl, it's something. You can tell me anything."   
Annabeth snuggled into Percy, feeling his warmth as she wrapped an arm round his torso.  
"It's Matthew. He spoke to me, and I'm supposed to be meeting him tomorrow for coffee, at-"  
"The coffee shop downstairs?" Percy smiled slightly, as he breathed in the familiar scent of Annabeth's hair.   
"yeah, I was hoping you'd come with me."  
"If you want me to be there, I'll come." Percy stood up, and headed along to the roof in front of the door, pulling Annabeth to her feet behind her.  
"I thought you might be busy tomorrow." Annabeth shrugged.  
"Ah, so you did see that?" Percy grabbed her hands, as she avoided his gaze, glad it was dark out because he couldn't see her blushing.  
"Reyna kissed me, and I pushed her off, seconds after she did." He stated, staring at her, grinning at her.  
"Why did you?" Annabeth asked, glancing up into his eyes.   
"I mean, Reyna's attractive, and you have lots of choices, and-"  
"I pushed her off, because I don't like her."  
"Who do you like?"  
"Y-" Piper burst through the door, stopping abruptly.   
"Piper!" Jason burst through after her, bumping into her.  
"Sorry Percy, Annabeth I-I didn't think anyone else knew about the roof." Annabeth and Percy dropped their hands, blushing slightly.  
"No it's fine. Aren't you guys supposed to be supervising?" Percy asked.  
"Yeah, yeah we are, I just wanted to talk to Piper." Jason stated, rubbing the back of his head as Piper tutted loudly and muttered something in French under her breath.  
"We'll leave you to it. Come on seaweed brain." Annabeth grabbed his hand, pulling him off down the stairs.   
*  
"Pipes, please say something." Piper stood with her back to Jason. It was stupid, she knew that. They'd had one date. One kiss. She couldn't be head-over-heels in love with someone she'd just met. That wasn't how she worked.   
"I just don't get how you can tell me that you like me a lot, then you can kiss Reyna." Piper's voice wavered a bit.  
"I didn't kiss Reyna, she kissed me." Jason stated, grabbing her arm, spinning her round.  
"I like you Piper. Not someone else, not Reyna." He leaned his head against her's.  
"Pipes, I like you." He whispered again.  
"Well, that's a good thing Jason" She smiled softly.  
"Because I like you too."   
She leaned in, and their lips crashed together, and Piper couldn't think of a better second kiss.  
*  
"Hey." Thalia grunted, as Reyna threw herself onto the bleacher next to her. They were looking out across the hall, where all the girls of the senior year were-at least were supposed to be-asleep.  
"Hey." She grunted back.  
"Rough day?"  
"You could say that."  
"I heard about it." Thalia stared at her.  
"What about you?" Reyna snapped back.  
"A trouble shared is a trouble halved." Thalia reminded her.  
"Didn't figure you were the sort to use bad cliche and talk about your feelings." Reyna stared at her.  
"Yeah, but there's no one who you'd tell, or who'd believe you." Thalia smirked.  
"And, just a word of advice, maybe don't go around kissing guys who have girlfriends."  
"I didn't know! Piper and Jason, and technically Percy and Annabeth don't go out!" Reyna cried out, receiving a glance from one of the students.  
"You should be asleep." Thalia called out, and the girl settled back down. Thalia turned to reyna.  
"So, why'd you do it?"  
"Why did you snap at Jason? And why are you avoiding everyone? And why do you look as though you haven't slept in a week?"  
"Lots of reasons." Thalia replied.  
"I wanted to know how it would feel." Reyna stared at her. They accidentally seemed to have engaged in a game of chicken.  
"Why?"   
"Why have you been avoiding everyone?"  
"I've been avoiding everyone because something's changed. And I'm avoiding it, so I'm avoiding people." Thalia answered.  
"I don't like either of them. Percy or Jason."  
"So, why did you kiss them then?"  
"What's your big secret?"  
"If you don't like them, don't kiss them?"  
"Why should you be avoiding people?"  
"Why are you avoiding the truth?"  
"Why are you avoiding the truth?"  
"Why are you?"  
"I'm gay."  
I'm pregnant."


	22. Chapter 22

"Hey." Octavian stuck his head into Rachel's classroom. She looked up from the front of the room, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.   
"Hello." She stated dull-ly.   
"What are you working on?" He asked, sliding into her classroom.   
"Sorting through some of the senior art."   
"I did that last week." Octavian smiled rather snootily, as Rachel tutted.  
"That's why I had to redo it." Rachel flashed a smile, shaking her head to herself.  
"Are you busy this weekend?" Octavian asked, sliding up the classroom towards her.  
"Yes." She stated.  
"What about tomorrow?"  
"Yes."  
"After school Monday?"  
"Yes I'm busy."  
"Tuesday?"  
"Busy."  
"Wednesday?"  
"Busy."  
"Thursday?"  
"busy."  
"Friday?"  
"Busy."  
"Monday lunch?"  
"Busy. Look, Octavian, I don't want to go out with you!" Rachel sighed exasperatedly.   
"You do. You know you do." Octavian stormed forward to stand my her desk.  
"Go out with me." He stated again, and Rachel abruptly stood up.  
"No. I'm going to go down to the hall now." Rachel began to walk out of the room, as Octavian shoved her up against the wall, pressing his lips to hers.  
"Go out with me Rachel." He breathed heavily, pinning her to the wall.  
"No. Leave me alone Octavian!" Rachel grabbed a pencil case from next to her, hitting him over the head and quickly running away.  
*  
"Hey Annabeth i-it's Will. Me and Nico got into a really big fight and h-he l-left, and I've not seen h-him since, and I w-was just-I j-j- I- Is he at school? Call me back Annabeth p-please." Annabeth listened to the voice mail that Will had left on her phone. His voice was shaking. What had happened between Nico and Will that had caused him to get this upset? Annabeth shook her head. Romans.   
"Hey Wisegirl." Percy grinned, leaping up onto the bleachers next to her.   
"Hey."   
"What you doing poolside so late?"  
"Just thinking." Annabeth shook her head, smiling at him.  
"Will and Nico had a fight."  
"Leo met a girl."  
They sat together silently, before Percy dived into his bag.  
"Here." He yelled, throwing a bikini at her.   
"Oi Seaweed brain!" She protested, as he ducked behind the bleachers.  
"Get changed wise girl" We're going for a swim!" He whooped.  
" Why Mr Jackson, wouldn't that be awfully irresponsible of two teachers? Especially the swim coach?" Annabeth teased, skipping round to the other end of the bleachers.   
"Think of it as a private swimming lesson. Come on Wise girl!" Percy exclaimed, before bolting out from the side of the bleachers in his seaweed green trunks, and diving into the water. Leaving her clothes sitting in a neat bundle next to Percy's messy bundle, she dived into the water after him, coming up just a small distance away from him.  
"Race ya!" She yelled, beginning to sprint down to the end of the pool, easily beaten by Percy.  
"Why didn't you pursue swimming Seaweed brain? You're practically the son of poseidon you're that good!" Annabeth laughed, as Percy shook his head, splashing water everywhere.  
"Tig!" He dramatically jumped through the water, splashing Annabeth grately before poking her on the arm, and sprinting away.  
"oh please! This game is simple logic! You know I'll win." Annabeth smirked at him, as Percy cupped his hands round his mouth.  
"Hear that everyone? Annabeth Chase, Girl who can never be beaten!" Percy whooped, pushing a wave of water towards Annabeth, who squealed slightly.  
"I will get you back for that Seaweed brain!"  
*  
"Settle down boys. There's no Romans or Greeks, only Olympians." Frank yelled out across the hall, as Jason ran in through the bottom set of doors, breaking apart a pair of boys fighting next to him.  
"Listen!" He roared.  
"The next people to disturb anyone, or fight WILL be getting detention until you GRADUATE!" Frank yelled out. The rowdy group of boys soon settled down.  
"NOW, GO TO SLEEP!" Frank yelled, and the boys all lay down (or sat about chatting) on their sleeping bags.  
"Wow, you can be scary when you want to be." Jason joked, jogging over to the bleachers. Frank grunted.  
"Try and be more transparent about it. If you don't want to outright tell her, compliment her. Tell her you like her. If she rejects you though, accept it. Otherwise you'll lose her completely." Jason stated, his hands sitting on his knees.  
Frank grunted.  
"I Should just tell her, right? Be blunt?"  
"Wait till you're in a better mood mate."


	23. Chapter 23

"I love the design of the pool." Annabeth muttered, as Percy floated next to her, their hands touching slightly, both of them staring up at the magnificent ceiling, which featured a large window at the top. During the day it provided some lighting for the pool, during the night it was a great star gazing spot. The window was specially made, so it didn't loose much much heat from the pool.  
"You should, you helped design it." Percy laughed.  
"You should've become an architect rather than a teacher" Percy whispered, and Annabeth smiled sadly.  
"You know I wasn't in the position to go to Architectural school. So I went for my second love." Annabeth sighed, slightly sadly.  
"I'm glad you did. Otherwise we wouldn't have got to go to college together. And we wouldn't be able to work together. We wouldn't be so close." Percy whispered softly.  
"Plus, you have your extra-curricular architectural jobs." Percy splashed her slightly.   
"Oi!" Annabeth sent a wave crashing towards Percy, and they began to splash each other, until Percy grabbed a squealing Annabeth round the waist, before spinning her around and throwing her in the pool.  
"Percy!" She yelled, splashing him back before diving under water and sweeping his legs.  
"Oph!" He yelled, dramatically falling back into the water, creating a large splash. Annabeth laughed loudly.  
"Perce?" She yelled, and before she knew it, Percy'd swum up under her legs, lifting her into the air, before throwing himself backwards. Somehow, he ended up in her arms, both of them standing close together. Annabeth could see the water glistening off his face, the water dripping off his muscles.   
"Perce I-"  
"Annabeth, Percy. I thought there was students in here, the amount of noise you were generating." Chiron stated, wheeling through the doors. Percy quickly broke apart from Annabeth.   
"Sorry, I was giving Annabeth a... private swimming session." Percy smiled innocently, as Annabeth tried to stifle a laugh.   
"Well, get out and get changed." Chiron stated, as Percy quickly swam over to the side of the pool, pulling himself out, water dripping off him and Annabeth could see his muscles rippling. He jogged over to the bleachers, before grabbing a towel and beginning to rub his hair, quickly checking his phone, before dialing.  
"Hey Grover, how's the nature retreat going?" He asked, grabbing his clothes and jogging off into the changing rooms. Annabeth climbed out of the pool.  
"I'm really sorry Chiron, I can't do dinner tomorrow." Annabeth sighed, wrapping a towel round herself.  
"Why?"  
"I spoke to Matthew. We're going out for coffee tomorrow." She sighed, twisting her hair up into a rather messy bun.  
"I'm glad you decided to meet with him. It's okay Annabeth." He smiled, before turning his wheelchair around.  
"I'll let you get changed." He swung out the swimming pool doors, and Percy came back out of the changing rooms, hanging up his phone as he walked through. He was wearing his jeans, but was shirtless. He headed over to the bleachers, holding up his shirt.  
"Forgot my shirt. You might want to get changed, Jason texted me, we're on the next shift." Percy grinned at her daftly.  
Annabeth's eyes got distracted on Percy as he pulled on his shirt, staring at his rippling muscles, the sparkle in his eyes, the messyness of his hair.  
"Come on wise girl, we don't have all day!"


	24. Chapter 24

"That fairly dragged in." Rachel moaned, rubbing her head.  
"That's because you and Will began to take shots of vodka in the middle of the night" Annabeth said in a sing-songy voice cheerfully.  
"Yeah...." Rachel groaned.   
"Do you know what happened between Will and Nico?" Annabeth asked, helping her self to the coffee, that was running low.  
"No idea. Do you think anyone will realise that I'm hungover?"  
"Stick on some makeup, and you'll be fine." Annabeth shrugged, pouring the remainder of the coffee in another paper cup.  
"Why did you end up drinking half a bottle of vodka?" Annabeth asked softly, staring slightly at Rachel.  
"It was-nothing. Can I come over to yours tomorrow night? Sleepover?" She shrugged as if it didn't matter, but Annabeth could see the anxiety in Rachel's eyes.  
"Sure, defo. Arrive whenever, but I'm meeting with M-Matthew tomorrow, so..."  
"Your half brother?" Rachel gasped.  
"The one and only. Well, apart from the other one." Annabeth joked.  
"I think I piled Will into a cab last night." Rachel grimaced.   
"You did, you weren't quiet. I'm going off to find Perce." Annabeth skipped off out the staff room.  
*  
"Hey Percy," Annabeth swung through the swimming pool doors, just as Percy finished a length.  
"Hey wise girl. You coming in?" He yelled, splashing about, before swimming over to the side.  
"Not exactly in the appropriate attire seaweed brain." Annabeth laughed, as Percy splashed across the pool, to wear Annabeth had sat down on top of a pile of boards.  
"Your usual coffee. Mind, it's from the staffroom, not from the coffee place downstairs, sooo..." Annabeth shrugged, as Percy pulled himself up onto a step.   
"Yeuchk. But it's coffee, I guess. Coffee is always needed, especially before eight o'clock." Percy joked, taking a sip and pulling a stupid face.  
"How was supervising the girls?" He asked, pulling his goggles off the top of his head. Annabeth's heart skipped a beat as she watched his hand slip through his jet black hair.  
"Not that bad. Listened in to alottttt of truth or dare." Annabeth joked.  
"You?"  
"Not bad, not bad. The boys stopped fighting as much." Percy grinned.  
"That's good, maybe they're getting over the Roman/Greeks divide." Annabeth grinned, before Percy pulled himself up out of the pool, perching on the edge.   
"We haven't played truth or dare in ages." Percy laughed.  
"We used to play it all the time." Annabeth grinned at him. They were talking in whispers, as there was only a few centimeters between them.  
"Percy!" Hazel yelled, swinging through the doors, looking flustered. She spun round, to face them, before blushing slightly and spinning to face away from them.  
"Sorry, I didn't realise-I- I was just wondering if you'd seen or heard from Nico?" Hazel asked, nervously fiddling with her fingers.  
"No, no I haven't. Is he okay?" Percy asked, pulling himself out of the pool, and grabbing a towel.  
"He-ye-hopefully." Hazel stumbled over her words, as Percy pulled on a shirt, wrapping the towel round his waist.  
"You can turn around Hazel." Annabeth smiled. The younger women spun around.  
"Percy, just please tell me if you hear from him." She rushed out, the doors swinging behind her.  
"I wonder what's up with Nico?" Percy asked, concern glittering in his eyes.   
"I don't know."  
"I hope he's okay. We have an half an hour till the kids leave, we better go supervise." Percy yelled, as he jogged off to the changing rooms.  
"Yeah." Annabeth called back, watching him go.   
*  
"Thalia."  
"Reyna." The women stared at each other, as Thalia took a long swig of her coffee.  
"Should you really be drinking that?" Reyna asked, staring at her.  
"We don't have to talk about it." Thalia stated, staring away from her.  
"Are you at least taking vitamins?" Reyna asked, as Thalia sent her a glare that usually made most students-even adults-cower.   
"Who have YOU told? What are you doing about it?" Thalia snapped back.  
"You." Reyna admitted, glancing down. Thalia sighed, looking at her sympathetically.   
"You have a sister, right?" Reyna nodded.  
"Tell her first. Then your parents if they're not too crappy. Who else matters?" Thalia shrugged.  
"Don't you have a brother?"  
"Half brother." Thalia stated.  
"Your family should know."  
"Not got much family."  
"Everyone has some family."  
"Sucky, drunken mother, absent sucky father. Half brother." Thalia scowled once more.  
"Who's important to you then?" Thalia shrugged.  
"Not many people."  
"Well, tell everyone who matters." Reyna shrugged.  
"Being pregnant is very different that being gay. No one cares if you're gay." Thalia sighed.  
"My father does."   
"Oh. Well, screw him."  
"Is that your life motto then? Must be considering you got pregnant." Reyna snapped, shaking her head. Then Reyna realised who she was talking to.  
"Shit." She muttered under her breathe, before Thalia burst out   
laughing. Reyna joined in, as the two sat on the staircase, laughing their guts out.   
"We are so screwed." Thalia laughed.  
"So screwed" Reyna echoed, as their laughter began to bounce off down the hall.  
*  
"Dude, dude, dude, can you remember anything I said about that girl last night." Leo practically yelled into the phone, as Jason physically flinched.   
"Dude you didn't tell me anything." Jason shrugged.  
"Yeah i did!" Leo yelped, and Jason could feel his panic through the phone.  
"leo, chill. Just text the girl."  
"I can't, I lost my phone. Why else do you think I'm calling from a payphone!"  
"Gods Leo, what's so special about this girl?"  
"Everything!" He yelped.   
"It's the same girl I met earlier this year! Do you remember?"   
"Yeah, you never shut up about her!"  
"I neeeeeed to find her!" Leo hung up, and Jason stared at his phone, shaking his head.  
"hey superman." Piper swung into his classroom, and even sleep deprived, piper was absolutely stunning. The thoughts of Leo floated out of his mind as he grinned up at her.  
"Hey"


	25. Chapter 25

Annabeth sat, nervously tapping her foot off the ground, glancing around the quiet coffee shop. At this point in the day, the coffee shop was always quiet. It was a Sunday, and it only ever got busy around eight, around three and around five.  
Annabeth sighed, nervously checking her watch again. Percy placed a hand on her knee, stopping it from jiggling.  
"He'll be here in a few minutes wise girl, on time." He smiled at her slightly.  
"I know." Annabeth exhaled, as a dark car pulled up, parking. A blonde boy swung out of it. Annabeth gasped slightly, at the resemblance he and she bore. She had grey eyes, she'd inherited from her mother, but the rest was almost uncanny. He swung through the coffee shop door, ordering a black americano, Annabeth noted. Then, he came down and sat across from her.  
"Annabeth. Mr Jackson." He clasped his hands together, his elbows resting on his knees.  
"Please, call me Percy. Percy waved a hand, as a look of amusement drifted over Matthew's face.  
"Have you two been going out long?" Matthew asked, and Annabeth spluttered into her coffee.  
"We-eh No, we don't." Annabeth choked  
"We're just friends" Percy informed him at the same time, and Matthew smirked a smirk that reminded Percy of Annabeth completely.  
"How are things?" Annabeth asked, recovering quickly.  
"Fine, fine." Matthew rubbed the back of his neck.  
"Does your father know you're here? Meeting with me?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.  
"No. He knows I spoke to you, but that's it."  
"Wow." Annabeth muttered coldly.  
"He wants to see you again, he just doesn't know how to fix all the wrongs he did." Matthew shrugged.  
"So, how is home life?"  
"Good, mostly. My mother is working on a paper, so she's been quite busy. Dad has been lecturing more, but he spends most of his time in his office. Apart from his lecture time, he goes and makes wartime theories, still makes models, and he's consulted for a few things." Matthew shrugged.  
"And Bobby, how is he?" Annabeth asked, fiddling with her hands.  
"Bobby's good, yeah. He wants to join the marines when he finishes school, he has a girlfriend, Anna-"  
"Anna Sherbosky?" Percy interrupted, as Annabeth glared at him slightly, and he grinned dopily.  
"Yeah, they're pretty tight, he loves history, he's like our dad that way. He's pretty popular, does well in all his classes, is physically fit, he and Athena-" Annabeth stood up straight quickly.  
"Who?" Annabeth demanded, and Matthew frowned concernedly.  
"What do you mean who?" Matthew asked  
"Who is Athena?" Annabeth asked.  
"Our little sister...?" Matthew stated, staring at her confusedly. Annabeth bolted up, standing straight up.  
"I need to go to the toilet." She stuttered, before rushing off. Percy stared after her, before swinging back round to face Matthew.  
"So, you're on the football team, right?" Matthew nodded, still staring off in the distance.  
"Yeah, I just joined," Matthew mumbled.  
"You should join the swimming team sometime. Helps you with flexibility. We have a good team." Matthew didn't say anything.  
"Yeah, we see you practicing out in the fields sometimes." And Matthew drew his eyes away from the spot Annabeth left, and began to stare at Percy.  
"yeah, we all see you sitting up there together most mornings. How long have you known my sister?" Matthew raised an eyebrow at him, and Percy chuckled to himself. The last time someone had talked to him about Annabeth in this sorta way it'd been Thalia, and there'd been a hell of a lot of swearing.  
"I've known Annabeth since we were both twelve. I met her at a summer-camp we both got sent-went to." percy grinned, taking a sip of his coffee.  
"And what are your intentions with her?" He asked, seriously faced, as Percy spluttered into his coffee.  
"We've been friends since we were twelve, lived together for a bit after-..., we worked in the same crappy coffee shop, we shop together, we live apart, we work together... Annie's my best friend. We've been through everything together, and I would never, ever deliberately hurt her. And I'm hoping to be in her life forever... But, if she doesn't want me to be, I'll leave." Percy stated, as Matthew leaned back, more relaxed in his chair.  
"How is Annabeth-I mean-" Matthew stuttered slightly.  
"Annabeth hasn't had the easiest life, there's been a lot of things that have happened to her that aren't exactly typical. But she's strong. And she's clever, and funny, and wise, and amazing, and incredible. She may seem a little harsh on the surface, but if you give her a chance-if she gives you a chance- woah, you're in for an amazing ride." Percy grinned to himself.  
"I'm glad she has someone looking out for her." Matthew smiled, sorta sadly.  
"She has lots of people. There's me, Thal-Miss Grace, Miss Dare, Mr Underwood, Miss Mclean, Professor Chiron..." Percy tailed off, as Annabeth came walking calmly back to the table. Percy glanced at her. He could tell she'd been crying, even though her eyes were clear. She could see the slightly shake of her finger, that indicated she was nervous, and worried. He glanced at her, and reached out and took hand, stopping it from shaking slightly. He knew why it was shaking.  
"What age is Athena?"  
"She's just eight." Annabeth pursed her lips slightly.  
"What, our father didn't tell you about her?" Annabeth gently shook her head.  
Matthew frowned.  
"Why Athena as name choice?" Annabeth questioned, and Matthew shrugged. Percy could practically see Annabeth's brain churning.  
"i don't know." Matthew shrugged.  
"Where was she born?"  
"I don't know, we weren't there."  
"Why not? Where were you?"  
Matthew shrugged uncomfortably.  
"We got sent to stay with our aunt-our father's sister." Matthew smiled.  
"So you never saw-"  
"Wise girl, maybe we should cool it with the questions right now." Percy grinned at her, and she nodded slightly, relaxing a bit.  
"Yeah, Annabeth, I'm really sorry but I'm going to have to go home soon, I have to look after Sofia, and get lunch. Athena's with her right now, but Bobby'll be home soon."  
"Where are your parents?"  
"Somewhere in Washington for a conference."  
"Who's Sofia?" Annabeth asked.  
"do you not know?"  
"Your father didn't tell me much. I get Christmas and birthday cards and money, that simply say dear Annabeth, and are signed dad and family." Annabeth shrugged.  
Matthew paused in thought for a minute.  
"My parents don't get back till Tuesday, and everyone is supposed to be home, do you want to come by and grab some lunch? You can meet everyone. Well, apart from my mother and our father."  
Annabeth paused for a minute.  
"Okay." She whispered slightly. They both stood up.  
"Percy you're coming." She commanded, before striding out of the coffee shop, Percy following the two siblings. They looked so alike, even their stride was the same. Percy'd been friends with Annabeth since they were twelve, and he's only met her blood family twice. And, hey, Percy was going to be in a room filled with annabeth-thinking teens ad children. Why would he pass up on the opportunity to see that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the infrequent updating! I haven't had much time lately :)  
> Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!


	26. Chapter 26

"Yeah, Rach, I'll be home in a few hours I-, yeah, choose a movie, do whatever, I'm sorry. Bye." Annabeth hung up the phone, as Percy glanced over at her from the driver seat. Annabeth was staring out the window, watching the perfect little houses they were driving past.   
"Athena was your mother's name, wasn't it?" Percy asked, and Annabeth nodded stiffly.   
"We can ask their father when he gets back about it." Annabeth stated, turning to face him.  
"Perce, what should I do?" She whispered.  
"Well, if it was me, I'd get to know the kids. Ignore the parents. They're gone till Tuesday. Give the kids a chance, they've not done anything to hurt you." Percy smiled at her sadly. Annabeth pursed her lips, sitting up right.   
"I'm going to get to know them." She said decidedly.   
"We are not our parents." She stated, and Percy smiled slightly.  
"We are not our parents" Percy repeated, as he followed Matthew's car as it swung into a driveway, and Percy pulled his car up onto the curb.  
"Come on wise girl." He climbed out the car, realising that Annabeth still hadn't moved, so he headed round to her side of the car, swinging the door open before grabbing one of her hands, helping her out. He went to let go, and she desperately grabbed his hand back, as they began to head up the pathed path to the door that Matthew had just gone into. Percy heard her inhale sharply, standing outside the door. Inside, Percy could see the beginning of the staircase, and several other doors, as well as an open room off to the side.   
Annabeth stepped inside, pulling Percy in after her. This had been where she'd lived growing up; Percy'd only been in the house twice, and it had been obviously refurbished many times, and the atmosphere in the air was different, but there was something that screamed out to Percy that it was the same.  
"Annabeth, Percy" Matthew called out from the other room. Annabeth shakingly walked through, dropping Percy's hand.   
"Annabeth, I'd like you to meet Bobby, Athena and Sofia." Annabeth stood just at the mouth of the door, her hands dropped at her side. Sofia didn't have blonde hair, like the rest of her family member, but bright black hair, and shining blue eyes. She was sitting on the floor, a doll house placed in front of her, with two or three dolls surrounding her. Bobby was sitting on the couch, his short blonde hair sticking up straight. He was about the same height of Matthew, but more muscular. Annabeth glanced at both the boys; they'd significantly grown since she'd last seen them, as kids, but Bobby still had the mischievous grin. A girl was sitting at the table, the same blonde hair as the rest of them, hunched over a piece of paper, scribbling away on it. Next to her was a duffle bag, with a hockey stick sticking out of the end.   
"Hello." Annabeth said shyly, and the girl looked up from the table, before continuing on her work.  
"Hello." They chorused back, and they all took a seat on the couch.   
*  
"Pipes, wait up!" Jason yelled, racing after her as she sprinted off across the way. He dodged groups of people, had to jump over dogs leads and nearly got hit by a bus until he finally got up with Pipers.  
"What was that about?" He asked, dazed, pulling at his coffee stained shirt. He'd tried to bring the coffee Piper and he'd abandoned with him, but it had ended up going all over him.  
"Sorry" Piper smiled brightly.  
"Saw someone I didn't like." She explained, pulling her high heels onto her feet.  
"What, like an ex? Is someone you know that scary?" Jason panted.  
"Not an ex." Piper stated, before plastering a smile across her face.  
"Look, I have to go." She stated, before wandering off through the park.  
"What?" Jason sighed to himself. Their date had been going well, until Piper had suddenly sprinted away. It was weird. Jason sighed to himself, before pulling a ringing phone out of his pocket.  
"Hello, it's Jason." He answered.  
"Ahh superman!" Piper was on the other end.  
"You okay pipes?"   
"yeah, fine. Just wanted to let you know that I had fun, and that I'll be out of town for a few days." Jason stared confusedly at the phone.  
"Yeah, okay, why?"  
"Just stuff."  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yes."  
"Why do you have to leave?"  
"Stuff. Lokk, Jason, I have to go." Piper hung up the phone. What? Jason dialed another number.  
"Hey, It's Annabeth, I can't come to the phone right now so leave your message at the-Percy! I'm trying to record my-BEEEEPP" Jason shook his head at the phone, before dialing Percy.  
"I'll I'll I'll I'll callyouback, callyouback" The message sung out, the sound of Annabeth laughing in the background.   
"Gods sake." Jason muttered into the phone, before phoning Thalia.  
"Thals, thank god you picked up. Pipe-"  
"I'll call you back later Jason." thalia muttered, before their was the distinct sound of her throwing up.  
"Thals, you okay?" Jason questioned, as Thalia hung up the phone. Annoyed and disgruntled, Jason headed back to his car.  
*  
Leo looked around the bar, before pinning a leaflet up on the messages board. He stared at it for a second, before taking a seat at the barstool next to it.  
"What today Leo?"  
"Just a beer" Leo stated, as the barman looked at the flyer. He chuckled.  
"Fallen for a girl you met here did you?" The bartender laughed.  
"Sadly and tragically yes. The Leo-nator is on the shelf. Man, I have to find her. She's perfect." Leo sighed.  
"You don't want perfect man."  
"She's not perfect, but she's perfect for me." Leo stated, swooning slightly.  
"So, you meet her here?"  
"No, in Hawaii. We dated for a summer, no second names, no strings attached. Her parents wouldn't be happy, she was betrothed. I couldn't stop thinking about her. Then we met again here. Though it might be her regular haunt." Leo glanced about the bar.  
"Wow leo, you've gotten serious" The bartender feigned surprise.   
"Shut up."  
*  
"Hey, Hazel, it's Frank. You haven't picked up any of my calls, and I was just wondering if you were okay. You were sorta weird on Saturday, and I just wanted to check in. Phone me back,"  
*  
"hey, Rach, sorry I'm back so late. I met my brothers. And sister. And my cousin, who apparently stays with them. And I don't really want to talk about it. I met the pizza delivery guy on my way up and woahhhh RACH!" Annabeth yelled as she swung into the main room of her apartment to find Rachel lying on her couch, beneath Travis.  
"Oh, hey Annabeth." Travis sat up off of her, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand, grabbing his shirt up from the floor.  
Rachel sat up, pulling down her tshirt.  
"Oh yus you got the pizza."  
"Bye Travis."  
"Bye Rachel." Travis swung out of her apartment.  
"I'll get the things he stole back later." Rachel promised, moving over on the couch to give space for Annabeth.  
"You know Rach if you want to enjoy some quality time with Travis, I'd prefer if you used your own bedroom, rather than my living room."  
"Okay." rachel shrugged, digging into the pizza.  
"I chose 10 things i hate about you." Rachel informed her, pressing Annabeth's remote.  
"What did you want to talk about?" Annabeth asked, shoving some pizza into her mouth.  
"Nothing that important. Octavian keeps trying to ask me out." Rachel sighed.  
"Still?" Annabeth shook her head.  
"I've outright rejected him hundreds of times. I ended up doing it twenty times on Saturday alone." Annabeth angrily shook her head.  
"Go to Chiron about it." She stated, crinkling her nose.  
"It'd just make him hate me more, and he could make my life a living hell, or"  
"Or it could get him fired, or put him on probation, or make him stop." Annabeth finished, staring at her friend.  
Rachel sighed.  
"Okay, I'll go." Rachel said decidedly.  
"Now, shut up. We're going to watch young, hot Heath Ledger win over his girl."


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry! I had seriousss writers block and just ended up bingewatching merlin. whoops. but here, finally!

"Annnabethhhh" Percy jumped into the car, loudly swinging it shut, splashing coffee all over his shirt. He paused, looked down at it, and dumping the (now wet, Annabeth would kill him if he wasn't so cute-if they weren't such good friends) coffee cups in the cup holder.  
"I'll be back in a minute wise girl." Percy stated, as Annabeth jokingly bashed her head off the driving wheel.  
"Percyyyyyyy" She groaned, as he jogged back into the building of the coffee shop.  
Annabeth glanced at her watch, smiling softly to herself. Percy came running out of the apartment building again, wearing a different shirt and clutching a brown leather satchel.  
"Almost forget this too." Percy chuckled to himself, climbing in as Annabeth began to drive away.  
"You're hopeless seaweed brain. You'd forget-"  
"-your head if it wasn't screwed on" Percy chanted back, as he buckled over with laughter. Annabeth rolled her eyes at him.  
"Come on kelp head."  
"Shut it Owl."  
Annabeth glared at him.   
"Don't call me owl."  
"Don't call me Kelp head."  
"Kelp head."  
"Owl."  
They took a sip of (what was left of) their coffee.  
"So, Annie, what are your after school plans?" Percy wondered, staring into the car wing-mirror, scratching the stubble on his chin.  
"I am going for a quick drink with Piper, Nico, Hazel, Frank and Rachel, then heading over to my-the-Matthew's house to make dinner with the kids. You know, cause their father and mother are staying a week longer." Annabeth informed him.  
"You?"  
"I am, wait for it" -Percy paused for dramatic effect-  
"Meeting my mother who is coming down from New York!" Annabeth gasped, and extended an arm, punching him lightly on the shoulder.  
"You never told me Sally was coming!"  
"And Paul. They say they have a 'surprise'." Percy shrugged.  
"Mom probably found some new blue candy. Or hey, maybe she found another long-lost brother, or a stash of money to give me." Percy laughed to himself as they pulled into the school gates. He groaned.   
"We've got a fight."  
Annabeth stopped the car, before running out of it, closely followed by Percy. They both muscled their way to the middle of the crowd, coming in between the two boys who were fighting.  
"Campbell! Rodriguez! Professor Chiron's office NOW!" Annabeth belted out, and the two boys slouched off in that general direction. They returned to the car, that had gained a traffic queue behind it.  
"Nothing like a lovely fight to start the morning." Percy stated sarcastically, sighing.   
"See ya seaweed brain. Say hey to Sally for me." Annabeth said to him, pulling herself out of the car, wincing slightly.  
"Something wrong wise girl?" Percy's sea-green eyes filled with concern.  
"Nothing, I think it's just cramps." Annabeth shrugged her shoulders, but her grey eyes were filled with concern as they made their way into the school.  
*  
"Annabeth!" Jason swung into her classroom, and Annabeth glared up from her desk, where she had groups of students surrounding her, they'd obviously come for pre-class help.  
"I mean Miss Chase!" Jason ran down to the front of the classroom, and Annabeth rolled her eyes.  
"Yes, Mr Grace, what can I do for you?"  
"I have some... yearbook stuff to discuss with Miss McLean, do you know if she's in today?"  
"Why wouldn't she be?" Annabeth raised one unimpressed eyebrow. Boy, this girl scared him.  
"She left on Sunday. She wasn't in on Monday, or yesterday." Jason squirmed uncomfortably.  
"You'd have to ask her." Annabeth shrugged, and Jason sighed. He bent down closer to where she was sitting.  
"Do you know why she left town so suddenly? What's her deal?"   
Annabeth sat straight up in her chair, and glared at his with her icy grey eyes.  
"Whatever Miss McLean chooses to tell you, is all you'll know. If she doesn't want you to know certain things then you sure as hell shouldn't come about and ask one of her best friends for all the juicy details." She said curtly, and Jason smiled slightly nervously.  
"I didn't mean it like that, sorry. Goodbye Miss Chase." He backed out of the classroom. What was with the Greeks? Uber protective of their own, keeping each other's secrets... Why in gods names where they all so secretive?   
*  
"Miss Dare!" Octavian shrieked from down the corridor, and Rachel rolled her eyes to herself. What did that creep want now?  
"I have two tickets to-" The blonde man began to run up to her  
"No Mr Octavian." Rachel yelled back, allowing herself to be swept into the crowd of pupils. Jesus, how many times did she have to reject this guy? A bell rung out.  
"Hurry up, get to classes" Rachel yelled, as the crowds began to pass, leaving only crumpled up paper lying on the floor.   
Rachel sighed to herself. She thankfully didn't have a class first or second, so she could escape having to constantly reject Mr Octavian Octavian. There was a thump at the end of the corridor, and a sigh, so Rachel hurried down, to find someone scrambling about picking up papers.   
"Can I help you?" Rachel asked, and the girl glanced up.   
"Sorry, I'm the substitute teacher for the Italian class? I asked some kids where I was supposed to be going and..." The woman gestured about hopelessly, now holding a perfect little bundle of papers, that she'd scraped up from the floor. Rachel looked at the women; she had dark brown hair, and beautiful brown eyes. As far as Rachel could see, she was physically perfect, including a small baby bump. And she was drop-dead gorgeous.   
"Do you have a class first period?" Rachel asked politely, as the women pulled out a small laminated time-table, a waft of jasmine came floating across the hall.  
"No." The women grinned.  
"Neither do I. Have you seen Chiron?"  
"Yes, but we got interrupted by two boys who had been fighting. Not a lot of love in that room I'll tell you." The women smiled, and a wave of calmness washed out over Rachel.  
"Right, well, I'll take you to the staff room then." They began to walk in silence.  
"I'm Miss Rachel Dare, I take Art and Design."  
"Miss Silena Beauregard, Temporary Italian teacher."  
*  
"Silena!" Annabeth basically leapt over a table, throwing herself into the arms of the new teacher, who squealed loudly.  
"Annabeth! And Percy!" Percy followed Annabeth, straight into the girl's arms.  
"Hello!" Silena laughed, as the two of them danced around her.  
"Long time no see!" Silena joked.  
"Is Charlie with you?" Annabeth asked eagerly as Percy gently patted her baby bump.  
"Yeah, Charlie is at home looking after Ariana, he-" Silena was interrupted by a chap at the staffroom door. Matthew stood by it.  
"Miss Chase, I was wondering if I could see you?" He asked, and Annabeth brushed Silena's arm as she left.   
"Hey Matthew, what's up?" Matthew grinned at her.  
"This morning when we arrived at school my car broke down, and it's being towed, soo...."  
"I'll give you a lift home, sure. Just you, or Bobby and Sofia as well?" Matthew grinned awkwardly.  
"Actually, I was hoping we could also pick up Athena...? She came back from her boarding school last weekend but-"  
Annabeth sighed out.  
"Sure."  
"Thanks Annabeth, I've got to get moving on." Matthew smiled, before heading off down the corridor. He was almost at the end, before Clarisse slammed through the doors, running down the corridor, her golden-brown hair streaming out after her. Matthew dived into the walls, as Clarisse made it down to the end of the corridor, barging into Annabeth slightly. She stared into the room, straight at Silena. She bolted across the room, straight into Silena's arms. They broke apart after about five minutes.  
"I haven't seen you in forever" Silena declared, and Clarisse grunted happily. They sat down on the edge of the couch, chatting intently.   
Hazel came over to where Annabeth had perched.  
"So how do you guys know each other?" She smiled, slightly nervously.  
"She was a few years above me at school, and we went to the same summercamp." Annabeth beamed at her. It was rare to see her smile so openly.  
"Oh, what was the camp? You all seem to have been." Hazel nervously bit her lip as Annabeth's mood shifted.  
"It was sort of a-... It was just a summer camp." Annabeth smiled slightly shiftily.  
"I'm going to have to cut this short Hazel, I have to go prepare for a class." She went to turn away, before pausing, her blonde hair flicking.  
"I can't make it to drinks tonight either, I don't think Piper can either. Jason said she was out of town." Annabeth began to move away again, before turning up closer to her.  
She pursed her lips slightly.  
"Is Nico okay? He's not been in in a few days. I know Will is worried about him." Hazel nodded slowly, and seemed to get that Annabeth wasn't prying; merely filling Hazel in.  
"Nico is fine. He's with our father currently." There was a falseness in Hazel's voice, that told Annabeth she wasn't telling the truth, but deciding not to press the issue, she headed back off to her classroom.  
*  
"Hey Will, I was just-" Thalia strode into his classroom, to see a sad Will, lounging over his desk, a half-drunk bottle of whiskey in one hand. She dropped the papers she was carrying.  
"Shit, Will, are you drunk?" Will looked up at her, before grinning goofily.  
"Nope-ity! Hand me that scalpel, i can dissect!" He went to stand up, before falling over.  
"Jesus Will!" She ran up to the back of the classroom, gently shutting over the door.  
"why the hell?" She glared at him, and Will chuckled, ruffling his light blonde hair.  
"you get funny when you're angry" He giggled, going to take another swig of the whiskey, just after Thalia grabbed it out of his hands.  
"This is so irresponsible! You could get fired!" Thalia shook her head, her black hair swinging wildly.  
"Hey, well you can talk about irresponsibility, can't you miss Guidance counsellor!"   
"...Will I am completely unsure of where you're trying to go with that. Like, it doesn't even make sense." She guided him back over to his desk, pulling a box of tissues out his drawer.  
"I'm going to phone..." Thalia quickly went through a list of teachers in her mind; she needed someone able to pull this off, who could keep it a secret. two people jumped into her mind, and she grabbed the phone.  
*  
"Back to class!" Thalia growled at some students, before Reyna came sneaking out of the science corridor, Will's arm wrapped round her neck.  
They quietly (well, relatively quietly, Will was completely steaming) snuck their way down the corridor, avoiding other teachers and pupils. If all went according to plan, they wouldn't get caught, or seen by anyone. And, all three of them could vouch for Will, saying he really did have the flu. He'd have to stay off for the next few days, but, all in all, that wouldn't be the worst thing, if you considered the possible public humiliation and the killer hangover he was going to have tomorrow. After they'd safely deposited Will at home (Thalia had driven, while Reyna'd made sure he hadn't blown chunks all over her car), Thalia pulled the car over, glancing at her watch.  
"It's lunch." She noted, before dialing a number.  
"Thanks. I have no idea how you did it, but thanks." The voice at the other end laughed.  
"They don't call me smooth talkin' leo for nothin." Thalia pursed her lips a little, holding back a laugh.  
"Just-"  
"Don't mention it again? Use me and drop me? Oh Thalia, you cut me deeply." Leo exclaimed into the phone jokingly, and Thalia shook her head slightly.  
"Okay Leo, goodbye." Thalia hung up her phone, ensuring he couldn't say another word.  
"You wouldn't think Leo is the type you'd want to help discreetly." Reyna shrugged her shoulders.  
"Him and Percy. They're pretty much my two go to guys." Thalia sighed, before checking the mirror, brushing her dark fringe out her face.  
"Have you told your brother yet? About the baby?" Thalia glanced up, her shoulders stiffening.  
"No."  
"Are you going to get an abortion?"  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
"don't want to."  
"You should tell someone." Thalia humphed, and rolled her eyes.  
"It's a big deal! It's another person you're-"  
"Sure, uhuh, okay. Told your family you're gay yet?" Thalia flashed a smile, before glaring at her.  
"Told my sister. It was fine. Being gay is nothing like having or raising a child!" Reyna threw her arms up, and Thalia glared at her.  
"Reyna. Drop it. Forget I said anything."  
"You have to tell someone!"  
"Stop!"  
"You're pregn-"  
"SHUT UP YOU FUCKING ROMAN! GET THE FUCK OFF MY BACK!" Thalia yelled, and Reyna stared at her, before tutting.  
"You just ran a red. Better hope there;s no cameras about." Thalia glared, and let out a stream of swears.  
"Holy fucking shit, you can fuck the hell off you fucking shitbag bitch. Fuck you, fuck off." Thalia glared once more.  
"You're going to have to clear up your language once the baby comes." Reyna commented from the back, and Thalia grinned slightly.  
"Yeah well it's not fucking here at the minute, is it?" Thalia replied.  
"It will be, in what, seven months?" Thalia tensed again.  
"four." She replied curtly, and Reyna gasped slightly.  
"You don't even have bump!" She exclaimed. Thalia glared some more.  
"And what, you only realised like two months ago? Wow Thalia." Thalia screeched the car to a stop.  
"Get out." She stated, and Reyna looked confusedly.  
"What? The school's round the corner and I'm off this afternoon. I'm not fucking going in."


	28. Chapter 28

"Hellloooo?" There was a yell, before a loud bang behind the art doors. Rachel glanced up from the front of her class-that currently had fifteen senior pupils in it- before there was a slamming of doors, and Mr Octavian began yelling. Rachel threw her paint brush down, before sighing loudly- as all her pupils exchanged glances- and rushing off through the open-plan area, to find the source of the commotion. Today, had been a stress-free day. At least part of it had. And here she was, wasting part of her double period with her favourite class going off to try and stop whatever commotion was going on. Ugh. She violently swung through the doors-which was relatively impressive considering how small she was-before turning the corner to face to quarrelling, bickering, TEACHERS. she tutted angrily, swinging her hands up onto her hips.  
"what ARE you two DOING?" She shrieked at Octavian and Leo, who were standing over a bucket of spilt paint, and abandoned blocks of wood, balling at each other.  
"I have enough to do as it is! I do NOT have TIME to be yelling at you TWO! Gods know what it must have been like at Romania!" Leo and Octavian silenced.  
"I hope you BOTH know that i WILL be filling a report to Chiron about this! Octavian, call the janitor. Get this cleaned up. And YOU can explain to Chiron why we need more money to buy paints since you seem to have such a talent for spilling them!"  
"Why don't we discuss budget and funding over dinner babe?" Octavian turned and smirked at her.  
Rachel had a slightly crazed look about her.  
"LISTEN OCTAVIAN: I DO NOT LIKE YOU, I DO NOT WANT TO GO OUT FOR DINNER WITH YOU, I DON'T WANT TO GET COFFEE WITH YOU, OR A TAKE AWAY, OR GO FOR A WALK IN THE PARK, OR GO TO YOUR HOUSE FOR DINNER, OR GRADE PAPERS TOGETHER. I WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE, TO STOP DISTURBING CLASSES TO TALK TO ME, TO STOP SPILLING PAINT OVER ME, TO STOP MIXING UP OUR CLASSES WORK, TO STOP COMING IN A HELPING, TO STOP DELIBERATELY LEAVING SCHOOL AT THE SAME TIME AS ME, TO STOP TRYING TO CORNER ME. I AM NOT INTERESTED. I HAVE A BOYFRIEND, AND I HAVE EXPRESSED TO YOU FREQUENTLY HOW I DO NOT WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU. SO LEAVE ME ALONE, OR I'LL SET A GROUP OF THE FINEST LAWYERS IN THIS STATE ON YOU." Silence rang out after she finished yelling.  
"Is that a no then? Maybe Monday?"  
"OCTA-" Leo stepped in gently shoving Rachel - who looked as though she was ready to murder Octavian - back from him.   
"Octavian there are some spare trousers down in PE. Go down now, I'll look after your class, and tell Chiron you'll want to speak to him." Thankfully, Octavian took his advice, slinking away.  
"Are you okay Rachel?" Leo turned to face her, jiggling slightly.  
"Yeah." Rachel sighed.  
"I'm sorry about your-"  
"-My wooden self-stirring device-"  
"Your wooden self-stirring device. Do you have a class just now?"  
"I'll take Octavian's class, no problem."  
*  
Percy glanced up at his class, who were all working peacefully, before glancing down at his phone. His mother was calling.  
Looking at across the dark room, he called out to them quickly.  
"I have to take this. Keep working." Before swinging out of the door. He pressed the phone up to his ear, as a paint-splattered Octavian walked past.  
"Hey mom, what's up?" Percy smiled to himself.  
"we're going to be arriving a bit early, so we're just going to check ourselves into our hotel, then go out from some food. Sorry our trip was delayed"  
"Well, I'm sure it won't be as nice as Gambia, but i was thinking Italian for dinner?"  
"Sure"  
"Okay mom, are you guys still up for dinner with Annabeth?"  
"Definitely! I have to check up on her of course!"  
"Actually, do you mind if i invite Selena and Charlie? They're in town for a while" Percy smiled at the phone.  
"Okay mom, got to go, love you, bye."  
Percy paused to peer at his phone a minute. He could almost swear he could hear a baby crying. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he headed back into the classroom.  
*  
Piper sighed. It'd only been a week, and she wasn't due to be back until tomorrow, but she had to come in to collect some stuff together. Coming in, and avoiding everyone was head enough. Only Annabeth knew she was coming back, and even then she didn't know what was going on. And Jason. God, Jason. They'd only known each other for four months, and they'd gone on two dates, one of which she'd ran out on. She didn't owe him anything. Right? Even if she did it's not as though she had a choice. Piper sighed again, before beginning to shift some papers into her bag, before she heard the bell ring out. Damn it. She'd been planning on getting in and out of here before lunch. She glanced at her watch, and quickly grabbed together her stuff. Luckily, the languages department was on the opposite side of the school than the lunch hall. She grabbed a pile of jotters from her desk, to add to the growing bundle of stuff, before swinging her overflowing bag up onto her shoulder.  
She glanced at her watch again, before hurrying out of the apartment, rushing out and along the corridor, before she collided with someone.  
"Offft!" The person yelled, as all on Piper's papers fell to the floor.  
"Gods! I am so so sorry!" Piper exclaimed, as she saw the baby bump on the women's stomach.  
"Oh no, it's okay, it was both our faults." SHe bent down, and began to help Piper scrape her papers together.  
"I'm Silena, the temporary Italian teacher, maybe permanent latin teacher. I'm guessing you are Miss Mclean, the french teacher..?" Piper smiled.  
"yes, that would be right. i'm sorry, i don't want to be rude, but i do have to hurry-"  
"Of course, of course. I love your ring by the way! Does the lucky person work here?" Piper blushed slightly, which was extremely rare for her. She gently toyed with the ring on her finger.  
"No, he-The-my fiance doesn't." She stated, stumbling over her words.   
"It was nice meeting you." Piper hurried off in the other direction, trying to slip the ring onto her finger. She'd forgotten to take it off after brunch this morning. She sighed, before leaving the school, head down.  
*  
"Jason." thalia paced in front of the female staff bathroom mirror.  
"I'm pregnant." Thalia sighed.  
"There's no father." She shook her head, throwing her hands up.  
"jason, what i haven't told you-"  
"ugh!"  
"Jason, I'm with child, and it's the king of Greece's!"  
"I've been acting so fucking weird lately, and the reason why I've been avoiding you, isn't because I'm mad at you, or because you're my half brother, it's because I'm pregnant."  
There was a small gasp from behind her, and Thalia angrily spun around to find Hazel staring at her, wide-eyes.  
"Hazel! You can't-no-one-please don't tell anyone!" The other teacher nodded, before backing off out the room, biting her lip.  
"Great job Thalia. Now you have to tell Jason." Thalia angrily splashed water on her face.  
*  
"hazel!" Will sped up, turning back to walk alongside her.  
"is Nico-"  
"listen, Will, Nico will come back when he's ready to come back! I can't tell you anything!" She sighed, throwing her hands up in the air.  
"Look, Hazel, I don't care about our relationship, I want to know if he is okay. He's my friend more than anything."  
hazel looked as though she was holding back tears, before she glanced around the abandoned corridor, and lowered her voice to a whisper.  
"The night of the truth night... it was the anniversary of Nico's mother's death. And the anniversary of his sister's disappearance. And he briefly forgot. So he's in rehab. He tried to kill himself." Hazel sighed, before rushing off down the corridor, glancing at her watch, as the bell echoed across the school, Will standing speechless.


	29. Chapter 29

Annabeth glanced over at Matthew, who was sitting in the passenger seat of her car.  They'd grown to know each other well enough that they  _could_ sit in comfortable silence. 

"Yeah, if you take a right here"  Matthew prompted, and Annabeth signalled appropriately. 

"So, what age is Athena, actually?"

"What do you mean?"  Matthew stared at her confusedly. 

"Well, when we met in the coffee shop you told me she was your sister, and she was eight.  But she's not."  

Matthew blushed slightly. 

"Yeah, I got a bit nervous about meeting you and stuff, and I guess I didn't explain it very well.   _Sofia_ is eight, she's our younger sister,  _Athena_ is fifteen, she's our cousin.  Just pull up here, Sofia and Bobby will be out in a minute."  Matthew explained, shrugging slightly.

"Why does Athena live with you then?  How long has she lived with you?"

"Gods, I don't know.  Mum and dad never really specified.  She came after you left, she was... eight? Seven?  I don't know.  Dad just said she was our cousin, and that was it."  Matthew shrugged again, as Bobby and Sofia clambered into the back of the car. 

"Hey Matthew, Annabeth.  That lesson today was wicked by the way."  Bobbby added, grinning at Annabeth, before helping Sofia buckle in her belt.

"How was school Sof?"  Matthew asked, and the girl grinned.

"We made butterflys!"   She giggled to herself, as Annabeth pulled the car away.

"Where are we picking up Athena?"  She asked, and Bobby piped up.

"At the train station.  She said she was meeting some friends from school."

"How come you did begin going to Apollo Rising and Hunterson?"  Annabeth asked, casually glancing over at Matthew.  To her, the obvious answer was that  _she_ worked at Greek Creek, and their father had  _gone_ to that school, and 'sure as hell' wasn't going to let his children be Romans.

"Dad thought it was the best place for and education.  And it was unmixed schools, girls supposedly do better in unmixed high schools, and he wanted us to learn how to deal with other boys, and to focus on our studies rather than girls." Matthew stated. 

"How come you moved?"  
"It wa Matthew's idea, actually.  He came up with this whole thing about how it would help us learn about conflict, how to overcome prejudice, and how Olympia had resources and skills that our schools didn't have."   Bobby informed her. 

"How come Athena is still at Hunters then?"

"She's moving to our school soon."  Matthew shrugged, as Annabeth pulled up, and in clambered Athena.  It  _scared_ Annabeth how similar the two of them looked.  _Who_ exactly was Athena's mother and father? Annabeth had  _extensively_ mapped out their family tree, trying to find  _anyone_ else she could live with.  Her father had a brother and a sister; his brother was in the marines, and his sister was a lawyer in Utah, and was married with a kid.  She didn't know about Sasha's family, but Sasha-and Sasha's parents-  _all_ had dark brown hair and green eyes, so Annabeth doubted that Athena had inherited blonde hair and grey eyes from them.

"Back to the house?"  Matthew prompted, and Annabeth jerked out of her circle of thought. 

"Got  any plans for tonight?"  Annabeth called out, and Bobby replied something about Anna coming over. 

"You?"

"Going out for dinner with Pe-Mr Jackson, and the new Italian sub Miss Beaugaurd, and her husband."  Annabeth grinned.

"A double date then?"  Athena called out from the back, a gleam in her eye. 

"No, we all went to the same camp when we were younger.  It's a catch up."  Annabeth laughed at them forcibly, but she  _knew_ none of them were buying it.  She pulled up to the house.

"Bye!"  She called cheerily, as they all piled out and into the house, before, a few moments later, Sofia came running back out.

"I made this for you!"  She cried, shoving a roughly drawn picture into Annabeth's hands, before beginning to run back off into the house.

"Bye bye Annie!"  She called, and Annabeth stared at the picture.  It was  _very_ obviously (Annabeth had to give the little girl props for her artistic skill) Annabeth in the center, getting hugs from all of them.   _Excluding_ their parents, Annabeth noticed.  Carefully placing the picture on the seat next to her, Annabeth drove away.

*

"Mum!"  Percy called, grinning as his mother got up from the other side of the Lobby, and walked over to him, engulfing him in a hug.

"You've gotten taller."  She noted, before kissing him on both cheeks.

"How was Gambia?  Where's Paul?"  Percy asked, as his mother adjusted his shirt collar.

"He's just going to come down. How is everything at school?" Sally asked, smiling at him gently.

"Good, good, the merge with the Romans-that's the opposing school-wasn't  _quite_ as smooth as I think Chiron hoped, but it wasn't too bad."  Percy grinned, as the elevator doors pinged, and Paul stepped out... with a baby?  The little girl was grinning and giggling away, Paul's keys stuffed in her mouth.  Percy's mouth dropped open, before he stared at his mother.

" _WHAT is THAT?"_


	30. Chapter 30

"It could be worse you know."  Charlie shrugged at Percy, as the four of them walked down the town street.  They'd waved Percy's parents (and his  _new younger sister_ ) off to their hotel a few minutes ago, and were now searching for a bar (The first thing Percy had said once his parents left was ' _i need a drink'_ )

"I doubt it."  Percy grumbled, sighing to himself.

"I recently found out I have a half sister-my mother, went on after her and my dad broke up, to have two more girls."  Silena shrugged, as Charlie threw his arm around her.

"Yeah, and until recently i didn't even know my little sister and cousin actually  _existed_."  Annabeth pointed out, as Charlie and Silena directed them into a small pub. 

"This is nice!"  Percy exclaimed, as they slid into one of the booths, and he gazed around.

"How come we never come here?"  Percy demanded, and Annabeth rolled her eyes. 

"Furies is closer to our apartments." Annabeth helpfully filled in as Charlie slid into the booth, holding a pitcher of beer and a soda water and lime.

"So, what is it with this town?" Percy asked, pouring some beer for the three of them, as silena sipped on her soda and lime.

"What?"  Silena asked, frowning confusedly at him

"At least  _half_ the kids in my classes parents are divorced,  and Chiron has a summer camp to help kids.  I mean, I grew up in New York, mostly, and my family  life  _sometimes_ wasn't the best but I've yet to be somewhere else with as many messed up families as this."  Percy shook his head.  They sat in silence for a minute.

"It's a one starbucks town."  Annabeth began, before looking up at Silena, who continued. 

"When we were growing up it was  _just_ big enough for two different schools, the Greeks-"

"-And the Romans.  And there's the Law firm that basically half the town works at."

"And because of the rivalry between the two schools, the community basically split in half, and our parents were  _all_ raised to be weirdly proud-"

"-And have weirdly low morals." Silena finished. 

"But how does that explain the kids?" Percy asked, and Annabeth answered quickly.

"Because it turned into a close knit community where any slight flaw was a weakness. So everyone would pretend everything and  _everyone_ was perfect until they got divorced, usually messily, while bitching about it to  _everyone_."  

"And then to try and fix the messed up kids they send us to summer-camp." Silena laughed slightly, before taking a sip of her drink.

"So Percy, how did you end up at Camp Half-blood?"  Charlie asked, trying to move the conversation along.  'Camp Half-blood' was the affectionate term  _all_ the kids that went to the camp called it.

"My mum got divorced, she knew Chiron.  He gave me a place for the summer."  Percy shrugged. 

"My dad owns the Chocolate shop down the street, and he and my mom got divorced when i was twelve... I think they held it together mostly for me, really, which I  _think_ they thought was kind to me, but it was hell.  I mean, I spent the best part of six years of my life listening to my mom and dad fight, and yell and scream.  It was awful.  And then I was getting bullied at school and... It was just bad.  And then I went to camp during spring break and suddenly things just seemed a little better."  Silena shrugged.  They sat in silence for a minute.

"And then we met that summer."  Charlie reminded her, as he turned and kissed her on the cheek.

"Yes we did.  Though we weren't dating because-

"-because I dated Mitchell Octavian and he was tried to be  _inappropriate_  with me and then told the whole school I'd slept with him and his friend, so the  _roman_ laughed at me for being a slut and the Greeks hated me for dating a Roman, when we went on  _one_ date to the cinema."  Silena sighed. 

"But, if  _none_ of that had happened, we wouldn't have ended up dating."  Charlie kissed Silena on the cheek, and she blushed, before glancing at her watch.  
"It was  _amazing_ seeing your parents again Percy-and do tell your mother that we'll watch the little one some time, I'm sure Ariana would  _love_ to have a playdate sometime."  Silena and Charlie got up, before Annabeth shimmed out of the booth, hugging Silena tightly. 

"We  _have_ to get together more often!"  Silena exclaimed. 

"How long are you in town for?"

"Well, Charlie got a job offer here, so at least until the summer." Silena hugged Percy. 

"Well, we have three places we generally are: The school, the coffee shop on 11th and 9th and Furie's bar."  Percy joked, before Charlie and Silena began to leave the bar. 

"So, how you coping Perce? It's a  _lot_ to deal with..." Annabeth smiled at Percy, wrapping her arm around him.

"I know.  I wish they'd maybe mentioned it to me beforehand, but...  Hey, look at us.  We've both gained family lately."  Percy grinned. 

"yeah."  Annabeth mused, before glancing at her watch.

"I should probably go soon....  Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah.  I mean, having a new baby sister, who is going to have  _amazing_ parents, and a happy life... I mean, it's not a bad thing.and we could all use a little Hope in our lives right? get it? Because her name-"

"-is Hope, I got it Seaweed Brain.  Night."  Annabeth rolled her eyes at him.

"Night."  He murmured, smirking, before reaching over and kissing Annabeth on the cheek.  She felt herself blush.

"Night."  She whispered again, before edging out of the bar. 

Being in love with her best friend?   _Really?_ Since  **when** was she a cheesy romantic cliche? 

 

 


End file.
